Chikara
by Blueberry and Blacktooth
Summary: Maybe it was wrong for a five year old to take a stranger's hand and swear an oath which stated the consequence of betrayal was death. Maybe it was wrong for a five year old to pledge their life to a complete stranger at all. Either way, whoever this stranger was, it certainly wasn't the Hokage. -HIATUS-
1. Chapter 1

Walking down the streets of Konoha, one is expected to see some very peculiar things, things like men dressed in green spandex while walking down the street or even young boys running away from the local police force holding buckets of paint that you would later find out was the cause of the Nidaime's red mustache.

But what the young white haired Ten year old girl did _not_ expect to see was a little pink haired girl crying alone, bruised and beaten sitting behind a trash can in an alley. So, of course, it would only be normal for the Ten year old to stop and stare, wondering what to do. But then of course, most people would do the same thing. What most people did not know, was that this Ten year old was actually very mature for her age, mature meaning that she behaved in a way the people twice her age did. So, once the young girl got over the initial surprise, she ventured confidently into the alley, intent on helping the weeping child.

Standing in front of the infant, the yellow eyed by passer knelt down so she could be at eye level with the other child and gently wiped away her tears, making dirt smudge onto her chubby cheeks.

"Why do you cry little one?" She asked gently, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a packet a small packet of tissues. Sniffing miserably, the little girl timidly took the tissue offered and blew her nose, but still did not talk. Whilst the younger child was distracted, the white haired girl took the time to study her, not in the least bit surprised at her bubblegum colored hair, after all she had white hair herself. What really captured her attention were the striking glistening emerald green eyes, which one could lose oneself in forever.

The pink haired child looked at her apprehensively, seemingly wary of this stranger that had come to ask of her problems. Lately, it seemed that everyone hated her. Once she confirmed that the older kid wasn't going to hurt her, she relaxed and started sobbing even more!

"M-my f-forehead…The other kids said t-that I have a big forehead. And today, when I went home, my d-daddy called me a u-useless piece of crap and the he h-hit me. T-then he told me t-to never go back again." She cried, sniffling and hiccupping in between words. This white haired person, she realized, seemed to be very kind to her and she watched suspiciously as two arms reached forward and were held out invitingly. Slowly, but surely, she inched forward timidly, and crawled into the older child's arms, burying her face into her neck and sitting on her lap.

"Shh…Its okay little one, everything will be okay. Tell me, what is your name?" The yellow eyed girl asked while soothingly running her fingers through the other's dirty pink hair.

"Sniff…Haruno Sakura, onee-san." Nee-san? Well it seemed the little girl had grown comfortable in her presence. Perhaps, the older girl thought, could be used to her advantage. Who didn't want a loyal follower to help with in the future, and since this little pink haired sprout was so young, no more than five years old, it would be assured that she would have her complete loyalty. And with all the plans she had in the future, having someone who could be her right hand could be beneficial, especially now that her father has passed away. Already this little civilian child had potential, unconsciously masking her chakra from any passerby. Yes…she had plans for this pink haired sapling.

"Well then, my name is Luna. Listen little one; do you want to stay this way forever? Because now that you have no home, you will not be living in the most comfortable conditions. Do you want that?" Luna asked her voice taking a serious tone. Little Sakura Haruno shook her head reverently, already knowing that it would be a hard life.

"N-no Onee-san! I don't want to! But I'm going to be a Kunoichi when I grow up! So that I can be strong and no one will bully me!" Sakura declared a new fire in her eyes. The white haired girl smiled approvingly, liking the determination in those burning twin emeralds.

"Well then listen, if you come with me, I can make you stronger. Stronger than anyone else. Do you want that Sakura-chan? Because I can if you want…" All it would take was a little prompting in that direction and the rest would be golden. Slowly, as if thinking about the offer, Sakura nodded. Then nodded once again more confidently.

"Yes! Yes I do want that Onee-san! I want to be the best Kunoichi ever!" She said brightly, her pink hair flying everywhere as she vigorously nodded her head.

"Good. But first Sakura-chan, you need to promise me something. Can you keep a promise?" The white haired girl said staring at Sakura right in the eyes. She was happy to see that Sakura did not look away.

"Anything! I can keep a promise! I swear!" It seemed that the little pink haired girl was quite cheerful when comfortable.

"I want you to promise that you will do whatever I tell you to. That my word is law and if I don't give my consent, you cannot do anything. I want you to pledge loyalty to me and only me. Not Konoha, not anyone else but I. If you do this, I will make you the greatest Kunoichi in history, and people will marvel at your name. I will take care of you and make sure no one will hurt you anymore. Can you do this? Because it will be hard, especially because for the time being, you will wear a Leaf hitai-ate and will make plenty friends. You will have to swear to the oath of Konoha that you will be loyal. Can you really Sakura-chan?" Luna asked seriously. It was a tough decision to make. Especially because of the bonds she might acquire during her time in the village.

Sakura smiled brightly, and clumsily reached for the older girl's hand. When the yellow eyed girl gave it to her, she looped their pinkies together and said "I pinky promise onee-san!"

And Luna couldn't help but smile because she knew then and there, that Sakura would keep her promise till the end.

"That's it Sakura-chan. Now listen, I want you to stay here just for a little bit okay? I need to do something's and I won't be gone for more two hours. Stay here and stay out of trouble. And if you see anyone else coming, I want you to stay extremely quiet. Do you hear me?" The white haired girl instructed sternly. It looked like Sakura was going to burst into tears.

"Y-you're leaving? Please don't go!" She cried scared of being abandoned as she latched onto the older girl's neck.

"I'm not leaving Sakura, I'm coming back okay? I would never leave. Just going to do something alright Sakura-chan?" She explained gently while rubbing her cheek along the pink haired child's.

"A-alright. I'll stay here. Just please come back." Sakura pleaded letting go of her new caretaker, unknowingly letting the flow of air back into her lungs.

"Good. I'll be back." Luna said standing up and inwardly grimacing at the fact that her legs felt like they just died and went to hell from being crouched so long and supporting the weight of another.

Now that the older girl had finally stood up and she was no longer crying, Sakura could clearly see what she looked like. She marveled at how pretty the older girl was, with her long straight white hair that fell to her waist and bright yellow eyes, which rivaled the sun, and naturally red lips. She was also wearing a long light blue sundress with flowers at the bottom and black pumps. She looked like a civilian and that way, no one would be any the wiser. With one last smile, she walked out the alley way and blended in with the busy Konoha crowds.

* * *

><p>"Sakura, it is now time to start your training. I do hope you will be able to keep up, I do not like it when people waste my time." A white haired girl said seriously whilst sitting on the grass in a hidden clearing of one of Konoha's vast forests. It had been a week since she had found little Sakura and much to her dismay, there were many, many things wrong with the girl. Malnutrition, dehydration, signs of bruised or broken bones and even a weak immune system, which was the cause of her falling sick during the one week they had spent together. She had come down with a fever and then next thing you know, she was sick with a very bad flu and if the yellow eyed child had not been with her, poor Sakura might have died. Now though, after being fed properly, healed and taken care of, the pink haired sprout could begin her training, much to her enthusiasm.<p>

"I know I can keep up!" Sakura cried determined to impress the only person who truly cared about her. Little Sakura could not even put into words the gratitude she had for her Onee-san. Her onee-san took care of her when she was very sick and weak, had bought her many different pretty pairs of ninja clothes, made her delicious meals and helped her become healthy again! The pink haired girl had decided for certain, that there would be no one else she would serve like her onee-san, and if her nee-san decided she needed to go fight, she would gladly lay down her life for her. Even if Sakura was only five years old, she was certain of this. And sometimes her onee even looked like her, much to the joy of the emerald eyed child. Her onee had said that when walking around Konoha, she would put on a henge that made her have red hair, which was a technique that she had promised to teach Sakura eventually, so that it would be believable. And even more so since her father had left the village. Yes, that mean man had just packed up his things and left as soon as poor Sakura was out the house, but little Sakura was proud to admit that she did not even miss him one teensy weensy bit! Now she had a better person to take care of her and Sakura was going to return the favor.

Looking around the clearing, the pink haired child could see a big pile of multicolored bean bags on one end, and on the other were different colored buckets. Though it was a tad bit hard to see because it was a REALLY big clearing they were in, and Sakura could not even for the life of her, imagine what they were going to do! Turning back to her new sensei, the pink haired chibi could only tilt her head in confusion in order to convey her message.

"We are going to work on your endurance, speed and reaction time. You will stand there-"Luna said pointing to a patch of grass-free dirt about three meters away"-And I will through a random bean bag at you. There are four different colors; red, yellow, blue and green with their bucket counterpart. When I throw a bean bag at you, you have to run to the bucket of the same color, and put it inside and run back. I will still be throwing bean bags at you while you do this at random moment so you must be alert and ready at all times. I will be timing you, and if you cannot do this in less than forty-five minutes, you will have to do five laps around the clearing in twenty minutes and start again from scratch. I don't think I need to point out that this clearing is roughly the size of a rugby field, the popular civilian sport. Are you ready?" The white haired trainer asked. Little Sakura was now having serious doubts of whether or not she could do it, she knew of rugby, it was a civilian sport her dad used to watch all the time, and she knew how big the field was. And she had to do this in forty-five minutes or else five laps around it? She could only hope she would not disappoint. Nodding hesitantly, her teacher gave her a small reassuring smile, which was gone in an instant and then motioned for her to go stand in position.

"Ready…GO!" And it started. The first bean bag was thrown so fast that she hardly had time to react, and fumbled with it in order to catch it. Once it was firmly in her hands, she took off as fast as her legs would take her, which wasn't very fast considering the fact that she was five and had pretty short legs. Arriving at the buckets and heading straight for the green one, which was the same color as her bag and dropped the bean filled sack inside. She turned just in time to catch another bean bag and noted it was red, and the red bucket was at the end of the row. Jogging to it, she dumped the bag inside and took off running back again. She didn't even make it half-way when two more bags were thrown her way and with much difficulty, she caught them both and put them in their respective buckets. Just as she was about to turn around, three bags hit her on the head, knocking the poor sprog down, along with the yellow bucket she was in front of.

"Faster!" The older girl commanded and Sakura could only nod meekly from her spot on the bucket. Grimacing slightly when the hard plastic dug into her stomach, she pushed herself up again and told herself to be brave; she had faced much worse abuse. Picking up the bucket along with her bean bags, she hurriedly placed them in their allocated buckets and turned back, just in time to take two in the face and two in the stomach. And it was hard; she stumbled backwards but regained her balance and saw that they were all different colors! The poor girl had to run to each and every bucket and by the time she was finished was panting very hard. But it was not over, she ran back and almost made it to the starting point when another green bag was hurled her way. Resisting the urge to cry, she caught it and ran back to the buckets and almost placed it into the red one, but at the last minute changed course and placed it correctly.

Back and forth she went and on many occasions, dropped the bean bags flung her way, and by the time the pile was only half way, she felt ready to collapse, but pushed on. She had a promise to keep she would chant in her head. A promise to serve her onee-chan and how could she do that if she couldn't even put bean bags in the right place? The white haired girl had warned her that the training would be hard and if Sakura couldn't keep up then she could kiss her dream goodbye.

Jumping to the side in order to catch the high-speed projectile, the pink haired girl miscalculated and fell short of it, and ended up getting friendly with the ground. Just as she was about to get up, a loud "Stop!" rang through the clearing and she knew her forty-five minutes were over. Sighing dejectedly, she got up wearily, panting excessively with sweat pouring down her forehead and her knees begging for release.

"Start your laps Sakura." Her onee instructed and with a quick swipe at her eye(she had something in it, that was the only reason her eyes were damp), did as she was told. Whilst running, she couldn't help but marvel at how fast her 'sister' arrived at the other end of the clearing and throw back all the bean bags from the buckets back into the pile with unfailing accuracy finishing before Sakura even finished her first lap! It was then little Sakura realized that she had been going easy on her and Sakura bowed her head in shame, this time letting the tears fall. She couldn't even do it properly when her onee was doing it slowly for her, and dare she say she wanted to be the greatest Kunoichi in the world? She was a disgrace to all aspiring female five year olds!

No! She must work harder in order to reach her dream and make her nee-san proud! With renewed determination, the pink haired girl started doing her laps with much more vigor and enthusiasm.

In the white haired girls opinion, little Sakura-chan wasn't doing too bad…for a civilian. For a ninja…well, it was horrible. But then again, that might be a little biased because as a little girl, she had done this little exercise at three, and had gotten all the bean bags in thirty minutes. So perhaps she wasn't the best one to all in all, Sakura was doing a bit better than expected, and ever since she had finished her laps, it was like she had gotten some new foreign energy which made her try even harder! That was a good thing she supposed, and now she could clearly see, that Sakura had a lot of raw potential. Especially since she was unconsciously channeling chakra through her legs in order to go faster. Not that she knew it of course, but the white haired youngster could see that this pink haired sapling had excellent chakra control, and that would make things a lot easier for her because of all the techniques she had planned to teach her. Yes…little Sakura had a bright future ahead of her.

* * *

><p>She couldn't move, it was like her arms and legs were not listening to her at. All. The cherry blossom namesake was currently lying in a sweaty heap in the clearing under the sweltering noon sun and she was oh so very tired. They had started training at dawn, and it was only now they had stopped, and during that time, not once had Sakura been able to get all the bean bags into their respective buckets. The five year old was tired, sad and hungry. And at the moment, did not particularly care that she was flopped out on the ground sweating like a pig and smelling worse than a hobo who had just crawled outer of the sewers. Maybe that was a bad comparison, seeing as that was her situation one week ago.<p>

"Shall we go get lunch Sakura-chan?" Luna asked smiling pleasantly at the pink haired child. Sakura had learn't the hard way that there was a stark difference between Onee-san the teacher and Onee-san the caretaker.

"Nngg…"The five year old grunted halfheartedly. The white haired trainer frowned not liking what the pink haired girl had said.

"Sakura, use your words. You're a girl, not a dying bear. Come now, we shall go for a lunch break then we shall continue your training. We have much to do Sakura-chan. " Luna instructed standing up from her cross-legged position and dusting herself off, but other than the dirt which had accumulated, she was virtually spotless, not a hair out of place.

"Gomen, Onee-san." Sakura apologized, pushing herself up and ignoring her wobbly knees. Smiling down at the pinkette, the white haired girl deftly put her long white hair into a bun and performed the henge, instantly turning her hair red.

"Come, you must regain your strength little one." The white haired girl said and bent down whilst pointing to her back so Sakura could hop on and boy did the pink haired sapling do so eagerly, only too happy to get a ride from her onee. Adjusting the little girl on her back and placing her arms under her thighs for support, she was ready to go. What Sakura did not understand was why her sister acted like a grown up. And she also acted like she was from a noble family. Though that could have been the case because little Sakura hadn't been told much from the Ten year old. Sakura knew that was a tad bit suspicious but as long as she was being taken care of and fed, even she knew not t o look a gift horse in the mouth. And as for the grown-up thing, maybe the white haired girl was just mature for her age. _VERY_ mature.

Sakura dropped the subject and smiled brightly at a bird she saw. They made their way out of the forest and into the busy streets of Konoha. It was a stark contrast between the two girls, one which was clean, proper and dirt free with an aura of calmness and the other dirty, sweaty and full of wrinkles on her clothing and cheerily skipping down the street. To most though, it would just look like an older sister had gone to pick up her sibling from the playground for lunch.

"Nee-san, what are we going to do after lunch?" The little voice by her ear asked curiously.

"We are going to do something very important. We'll be working on flexibility, and you'll be doing tricks and different things. In order to learn the fighting style I will eventually teach you, your body needs to get used to many different positions." The white haired girl replied whilst dodging the busy noon crowd of the village.

"But why? I'm already flexible! I can do handstands and cartwheels and I can even do the splits!" Sakura protested indignantly. The now red head could only shake her head in amusement and turned her neck to look at her, smiling softly.

"Because Sakura, you need to learn how to do it the right way without injuring yourself or pulling a muscle, especially since you are still young and not fully devel-oof!" The white haired girl cried and stumbled backwards a bit. Though she quickly regained her balance and she and Sakura looked down to see a little boy around the pinkette's age rubbing his forehead. Gently, easing down a reluctant Sakura from the perch on her back, the white haired girl crouched down to help the boy up. He had raven black spiky hair and matching colored eyes and was wearing white shorts and a high collared navy blue t-shirt with a paper fan at the back. Luna could instantly tell that this young boy was Uchiha Sasuke from the file description, the second heir to the Uchiha clan. And if Sasuke was here, it meant his brother was close behind.

"Otouto, stop running, the training gro-Oh, my apologies. It seems my brother has bumped into you. Sasuke, apologize to these people." Another black haired child around the 'red haired' girl's age said when he appeared from the crowed. Luna could only smirk on the inside about how right she was; this boy here was Uchiha Itachi, the child prodigy who was already a chunin in rank but a high-level jonin in skill. Luna couldn't help but think that he could even give her a run for her money. And even at her young age, she was no pushover.

"Gomenasai…" Sasuke said ashamed of getting scolded by his big brother.

The red head simply ruffled his hair and smiled at him, "No harm done, right Sakura?" She asked turning to the silent girl cowering behind her. All she got was a timid nod in response and smiled at her too. It seemed that the pink haired girl was just naturally shy around strangers

"Come now Sakura, that is no way to act! I thought you wanted to be a Kunoichi like me! Kunoichi do not cower behind their older sister! Introduce yourself!" Luna chastised gently pushing Sakura in front of her. When Sasuke gasped, it seemed as if Sakura was ready into crawl into a hole and die.

"Wow! Is your hair really pink? I've never seen pink hair! Actually, I've never even seen you at the academy! How can you be a kunoichi if you don't attend the academy?" Sasuke asked haughtily and Sakura frowned.

"Foolish little brother, do not be rude." Itachi berated calmly. But it seemed he wasn't even interested in pink hair, oh no, he was currently drilling holes into Luna's head. Although for her part, the red haired was ignoring it with no problem.

"It's alright; he's not being rude, just curious. Actually yes, that is Sakura's real hair color. And she's only attending the academy next year; I'm training her first is all. Are you in the academy S-little one?" The red head inwardly cursed, she had almost said Sasuke's name. But she had to remember that they had not been introduced yet. Itachi was currently interested and it wouldn't do to make it worse.

"Otouto has just started the academy. I have not seen you at the academy whilst picking him up. Have you graduated already?" The weasel's namesake asked blankly before the younger boy could reply. Luna smirked all friendly like and said with no little amount of amusement "Actually, I'm a jonin." The look on his face was worth it, and she couldn't help the widening of her smirk. But as soon as his expression of surprise had appeared, it was gone, and the sandy haired girl could not help but wonder why the Uchiha were so fond of expressionless robots.

"I see. Then we must spar sometime." He said regaining his composure. Little Sakura-chan raised an eyebrow, wondering why the big boy was staring at her onee-chan like that, and why her onee-chan seemed to be having fun! But then she came to the conclusion that it was just older kids being weird.

"Oh yes we must. Sakura-chan and I were just about to get lunch at the little Dango café a few blocks away. Would you like to join us?" The yellow eyed girl asked pleasantly. Oh, she knew that she was baiting the Uchiha prodigy with her knowledge of his love for dango, and he knew it too judging by the way his eyes narrowed minutely, but she just kept her façade up and carried on acting innocent.

"Maybe some other time. My Otouto and I were called for lunch by my mother. " She noted that not once had he shared their names, always referring to Sasuke as Otouto, and it proved to Luna that he was suspicious enough not to compromise his little brother. Well, not for long…

"I see. You never gave us your name." She said whilst nonchalantly meeting his blank but hard eyes, the perfect epitome of calm.

"It is common courtesy to give your own first." He replied in a detached manner. She smiled brightly, dripping with honey and sugar.

"Ah, yes! How rude I am! My name is Haruno Akaia, and this is Sakura." She said ruffling the confused child's hair.

"I am Uchiha Itachi and this is _my _younger brother Sasuke." The dark haired boy stated. He watched her carefully but made no indications to the subtle threat he had just thrown at her. He had clearly drawn out the word 'MY' but to any civilian, they would have heard nothing. She smiled and took Sakura's hand, gently nudging the girl to walk forward as she followed suite, he watching them all the while.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Itachi-san." She said 'pleasantly' and walked away without another glance behind.

_She swore she heard the Sharingan activate._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Okay! First Chapter Up of the long awaited Chikara! Hope you like it...<em>**

**_For this first chappie I'm flying Solo because I was a tad bit impatient but I've got a Beta so the rest will be ten times better. _**

**_The next chapter should be up on Monday(hopefully) so keep those fingers crossed. _**

**_Don't forget to review okay? _**

**_Lots of love,_**

**_Bluetopianprincess^.^_**


	2. Chapter 2

Training had just ended for the day and Luna had sent Sakura away with the instructions to go straight home, take a bath, change her clothes and pack a travel bag like she had taught her to.

Squinting up at the sun, she saw that it was about three pm and was pleasantly surprised that they would be able to travel for a bit before night fall. She never did really like travelling at night that much.

Calmly picking up a stray bean bag, she nonchalantly tossed it between hands before raising it and chucking it behind her into the trees with enough force to send someone flying. She heard rustling and then someone jumping down and landing softly, almost inaudibly on the clearing's soft grass. She didn't even bother to turn around and carried on packing up her things.

"Was that really necessary?" A cool voice said from behind her. She rolled her eyes and piled the buckets into each other.

"Had it been necessary to spy on me the whole of these three weeks?" She asked halfheartedly trailing her fingers around the rim of the red bucket. She smirked when she heard his blunt response.

"It seems that my suspicions were warranted _Haruno Akaia_" The sarcasm that was in his voice was palpable.

"Can't hide anything from you can we, Itachi-san?" She asked amused while straitening up and turning around to stare at him right in the eyes. He didn't flinch meeting her head on. She felt giddy, this boy would make a great ally, a great asset to her plans and now that she had drawn his attention, it was only a matter of time before he would come over to her side. A few years at most. He was watching her again with his dark grey eyes, and for the first time she realized how cute he really was and couldn't help but think how handsome he would be when grown.

"Who are you really?" He asked finally broaching the subject. Flicking her long white her over her shoulder, she smiled innocently.

"Someone who you will eventually join in the future. It's only a matter time, maybe three years." Luna declared seriously. She was done playing, now was the only opportunity to sink her teeth into him and she was going to take it. If not now, then she would have some serious problems, especially if she thought she knew that damned man as well she did. Her father had always taught her to be prepared.

"I am loyal to no one but Konoha." He declared unperturbed. She waved him off like an irritating fly and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Yes, that's all well and good but at the rate that this village is going, it will perish, you along with it." Itachi seemed more alert now, interested in what she had to say. Clearly she was a threat to Konoha, but he could not bring himself to attack. At least not without proper prompting and more information.

"What nonsense do you speak of?" he asked searching the white haired girl's face for any indication for what she had just declared.

"You will just have to wait and see. You are a passive person by nature are you not? Have you never considered why there is the KPF? Or why there aren't many Uchiha in active rotation? Or even why the compound is so far on the outskirts of the village? I hope it wasn't because you think yourselves so high and mighty that you deserve to be treated better? Think about it, because it is not my place to say. What you should know is that they are molding you into an emotionless killing machine, that's what the Uchiha are doing. And one day, you will understand why…What is it they say every time they give you a mission? Ah, yes, "_For the sake of the clan, you must…"_ It's always for the clan isn't it? Why, I must wonder if they even serve Konoha or themselves! Aren't the clan meetings always about how they do not enough power? Yes, I admit what this village is doing is not fair to your clan but they are not helping matters at all! Oh no no no! But who am I to talk, I am just an innocent bystander…" She said cryptically. It seemed that she had gotten her point across and inwardly smirked, she made it like it was an option, but she already knew he would eventually join her when he learned the truth. Calmly she put all her things in a storage scroll and stashed it away in her weapons pouch while he thought everything over. He would need sometime of course, and she would give it to him.

"Well look at the time! It seems I must be going! Think about it Itachi-san. Oh, say hi to Sasuke-chan for me! And I trust all this shall remain between just the two of us…" And then she disappeared in a swirl of white lilies.

* * *

><p>"Sakura? I'm here. Are you ready? We must leave before nightfall." She called out into the relatively posh apartment that the nine year old girl had bought with the money in her account. Taking off her shoes in a manner of tradition, she ventured into little Sakura's room, only to see her fast asleep on her travel pack. Smiling softly, she decided to let her be until she herself had finished getting ready and with one last glance, gently shut the door behind her.<p>

The first thing she did was take off the black fingerless gloves that she normally wore, the only thing that wasn't fake in her false Konoha ninja attire and resisted the urge to flinch when the cool air touched her hands, she had always felt exposed without them on. Then she stripped down completely and took a shower, thoroughly washing her hair while she was at it. Then when she was done, she took the brush and ran it through her locks, satisfied with way it slipped through easily. Although, she did miss the way her primary maid Sachi would do it for her in such a tender and loving way. Ever since her mother died, it seemed the caretaker had taken her place and the white haired girl had come to view her as such. Of course they could not be so open about their relations, considering the big difference in social status but the point was she was most probably the only other person she loved. Excluding her pet cat and a select few, that is. She didn't love Sakura, but she was growing fond of her.

When she finished, she changed into her normal shinobi clothing. The one she used to wear before she had infiltrated Konoha. A long sleeved black shirt which was loose at the end, matching black leggings and to complete the look, custom made black shinobi sandals which also had a hidden senbon compartment in the thick soles. Then she put back on her gloves which had her clan symbol on them, a simple white empty circle.

Then the white haired female got a traveling back pack from her closet and packed it with all the essential needs, Kunai, shuriken, senbon, poison vials, a first aid kit and then her toiletries. All of these were put into storage scrolls of course and then in one more, she packed some dresses and civilian shoes, in order to deceive others into thinking she was a helpless little girl. She also did the same for Sakura, having bought a few for the little girl and kept them in her closet. Finished, she headed out into their kitchen with one last storage scroll to pack many bottles of water and dry rations. They would be out for at least a month. She had many things to do in the different hidden villages and it would be the perfect time to introduce Sakura into the world of politics. Of course, no one would readily listen to a nine year old, but that just made it even more fun.

She woke up Sakura when she was finished and bleary eyed she stood up and smiled sleepily. Luna smiled back halfheartedly and instead looked out the window, it was now six o'clock and from information gathered, in one hour, they would change and double the patrol shifts around the village and at the border so they really need to hurry up.

"Sakura-chan, come, it is time to leave okay?" She asked the little girl, gently picking her up and placing her on her back in order for it to be easier to sneak out the village. The Haruno nodded and complied easily, shifting in order to be more comfortable on the backpack of the older girl. Once sure that the child was secure, she opened and jumped out the window, and with the skill that only a highly trained shinobi could have, ran into the forest behind the building and soon became a blur amongst the trees. The forest was the whole reason why she had chosen the apartment building; it would make for an easy escape if needed and now was the perfect time to use it. She knew of a secret hole in the otherwise highly guarded walls of Konoha which was just big enough to accommodate a child of her small stature. The pink haired child behind her held on tighter in order to keep from sliding off at the speed that she was going and the yellow eyed child fought to keep a smile off her face. During the past month they had been together, she had grown fond of the child she had come to think of as her little sister and apprentice and she was glad to know that the child was so comfortable and trusted her completely. It truly said something about the way she was treated before and her inner kind nature. Although she could be harsh when training her and during serious times the little girl knew she did it because she cared.

When they arrived at the wall hidden by the forest, she hurriedly, but silently brushed away the shrubbery that hid the weak point and when she found it, put Sakura down and prepared to crawl in.

"Follow me and stay close. It is dark in there and you might lose track. It is fairly long but once out we will appear in the woods. Understand?" She asked in a serious voice. The younger girl nodded and both of them proceeded to crawl into the small tunnel. She was right when she said it was dark, and Sakura crawled a little faster, trying not to think about the things that could be on the walls around her right now that she could not see. After a few minutes, she could make out a small light which was growing steadily larger as the pressed on and to her immense delight, realized it was the end of the tunnel. They arrived and emerged silently, brushing themselves off and it was then that Sakura could truly appreciate how thick the village walls really were.

"Come, we must hurry and get to the next village." Swinging the youngster back onto her previous perch, the white haired girl jumped and flew through the trees even faster that before and Sakura was amazed at the speed they were going at. Even more determined, she promised herself that she would be able to go this fast in just a few years!

* * *

><p>They went on for most of the night, Luna deciding to bypass the village in order to make more time and with some exasperation, she realized the child on her back had fallen asleep. She supposed that was a good thing though and now reassured that the little sapling was sound asleep, picked up speed until the trees were just a green carpet surrounding her.<p>

Taking advantage of the silence, she decided to think about the next course of action.

Now that they were heading to the other hidden villages, it was important that she have a few more loyal followers to help her in her quest. Perhaps the Jinchuriki of the sand would be greatly beneficial. Plus it would much easier to get him on her side now since he was still young, only four years old and at least he would have someone in his life who did not hate his guts. She had once seen the way he was treated by the general populace of Sand on a diplomatic mission with her father and it disgusted her. It was even worse than the way they treated the leaf's own Bijuu host. The poor red head was constantly subjected to the scorn of the villagers and assassination attempts by his own _father_! If she could just grab him and go she would, but that would create an international crises that she would greatly like to avoid, not to mention her brother wouldn't particularly like to deal with a war.

Yes, truthfully he was a kind sweet and innocent young boy and it really wasn't his fault that he ended up killing so many people on a daily basis. Her only consolation was that his uncle didn't actually hate him like all the other villagers, but she was a bit scared that would change. Also, now that he was still young, she could gain his absolute loyalty without fear of his father turning him into a mindless weapon. As well as his ability to control sand which she had a sneaking suspicion that it was a Kekkei Genkai that he inherited from his mother that had nothing to do with the Ichibi residing in him. Also the fact that it was his mother that had loved him so much that she had taken measures to protect him even in death. It was a good plan to start in Suna, she could mold and love the container as much as he deserved and still gain a very powerful potential ally. Oh no, she didn't want him to work for her, but as the most likely candidate of future Kazekage, even if no one knew it at the time, it could work very well in her favor. Like all the high-ranking people she would need. And as soon as she had finished with the little boy who she had neglected to find out his name, she was going to search for the Kaguya clan in mist. Before that blasted Orochimaru could get to them like he tried to do with her own clan. Though at the rate the clan was going, they would probably destroy themselves! She wanted to have a little chat with the Kaguya clan's secret weapon and she and Sakura would only spend a week at most in Suna. Best part is the clan was in mist, so it would give her the opportunity to visit her cousin! How she missed the jovial teen! Once done there, she needed to go find a certain someone in Iwa…Hopefully before he did anything stupid.

Nodding in acceptance of her plans, she changed her path to the west, heading in the direction of Wind country, deciding to go through the land of Rivers instead of Rain. It would most probably take two days to get to Suna, depending on how fast he traveled with a little child on her back who weighed at least twenty-nine kilos. Meh, she decided to think of it like training…She had been slacking off ever since she started training Sakura and that was unacceptable, especially in the long run. When they arrived in Suna she would try a different regime for both herself and the little emerald eyed girl.

Talking about different regimes…Maybe she would also pay home a visit. She did miss her brother just a tad bit…No, it was too early. Maybe in a few years she would go back.

* * *

><p>They traveled through the night and most of the morning until noon when the white-haired girl felt she was going to collapse, she may be strong but travelling for such a long time with a child on your back wasn't easy. If she was alone, she could have gone another day but she also needed to remember that Sakura needed proper rest, so she stopped in a village a few hours after passing the River and Fire country borders. Putting the little girl down, they walked together to the Inn, Luna once again with her Henge and ignored the questioning looks the got. Heading to the small ATM in the town, she drew enough money to last them until they got to Suna. It wasn't very much, roughly five-hundred ryo but it was enough. Even if she was rich she didn't want to spend all her personal money on this little trip of hers. After all, it was only for food and an inn. She wasn't planning on staying in a village every night! Just there in River. When they were in Wind country, she would bypass all the small towns and they would be camping, and training in the desert. Facing the harsh sun during the day and the freezing temperatures at night. This of course drew her travelling plan back by two days but it would be worth it for what she had planned. It was important to learn how to survive in different terrains and it had been a long time since she had been to Wind country.<p>

Once done there, she and Sakura headed to the popular Inn in the center of town, it was safer to be with other people. Sakura trailed behind, her hand firmly clasped in the other girl's so they wouldn't get separated in the busy street. When they arrived, they were greeted with a pleasant-looking inn run by a kind looking old man and a young woman smiling and helping a customer at the counter. Pasting on a smile she approached the two, Sakura in tow.

"Good afternoon little ones! What can we do for you?" The old man exclaimed smiling down at them brightly. Luna let her manners that were forced into her since birth kick in and looked at them kindly, happy with the good customer service.

"Hello. We would like to request one room for the night." She asked politely. She was glad to see Sakura was back to her naturally bubbly personality and smiling brightly at them. The young woman looked like she was about to spontaneously combust from the cuteness of both little girls and was visibly restraining herself from pouncing on them both and hugging them to her like teddy bears.

"Oh? And may I ask what two young ladies like you are doing in a village all by yourselves?" The young woman asked looking amused. It was an innocent enough question coming from civilians but Luna automatically became defensive, but she didn't let it show. As she was about to reply with carefully chosen words, Sakura beat her to it.

"We're going to visit Okaa-san! She said to stay in an Inn and not to talk to any strangers and she would pick us up tomorrow and we would go home together!" The henge'd girl was secretly surprised at how well the younger child could lie, complete with bright smiles and hand movements. She supposed it was better she had said it, that way no one would even suspect the lie from a little enthusiastic and 'naïve' pink haired girl.

"Yes we are. We just left from visiting our father the last town over. Our parents are were recently …separated you see." She deliberately added that pause as a way of making them think she was sad.

"Oh you poor things! Why you must be so distraught! We'll give you one of our best rooms free of charge! You can't pay for anything in your states! Why your poor mother must be working so hard and that's why you're so skinny! We'll even provide room service! Order anything you want, on the house!" The woman gushed sympathetically. The old man was nodding somberly at them as well. Sakura pretended to sniffle a bit and Luna smiled 'sadly'

"T-thank you so much! You're right. Our mum thinks we can't see but she's so stressed. Thank you so much!" Luna replied. She really was grateful for free food and a room.

"Oh, it's nothing. Come with me little ones, I'll show your rooms." The woman said grabbing a key and ushering them up the way, the old man giving them reassuring smiles the whole way up.

Their room was on the second floor and was very nice, with a king size bed with many, many pillows and a white fluffy looking duvet covers and a fluffy caramel carpet. There was also a big TV and a small kitchenette. The bathroom had a very big tub and shower with a sink with complementary toiletries, such as a toothbrush, toothpaste and soap, and bubble bath and scented salts. There were also many big white towels and face cloths.

"I hope you like it! You deserve it! To dial room serve press "1" on the telephone and order as much as you want! We'll take care of it. If you need anything don't hesitate!" And then she ruffled their hair and left, closing the door behind her. As soon as she left, the red-head dropped her henge and started searching the room for bugs and traps. Finding none she dropped her pack on the floor and motioned for Sakura to do the same. The she took off her sandals and headed into the bathroom and started drawing a bath with salts and all.

"Sakura, I am going to take a bath okay? You can watch television if you want or relax. I won't be too long." The white-haired girl said distractedly, while setting up her own traps on the windows to prevent anyone from entering.

"O-onee-san?" A small voice asked hesitantly, fidgeting in place while tugging her shirt.

"Hmm? What is it little one?" The golden eyed girl asked offhandedly whilst taking off her gloves.

"C-can I…C-can I take a bath with you?" The pinkette asked shyly, rubbing her foot in the carpet. Luna paused momentarily and looked at the tomato faced girl with an amused expression. It was no problem for her if the toddler wanted to take a bath with her.

"Of course you can! You don't have to be shy about it! Take off your clothes and leave them on the bed. You can get in first. I will join you soon." Luna instructed smiling and Sakura smiled brightly, doing as she was told.

* * *

><p>Itachi was never one to doubt his superiors, doing as he was told without hesitation and to the best of his capabilities. Now though, even a day after Luna had asked him all those questions, he could not stop thinking of them. It seemed that she was completely right in all her points. Especially now when he sat with his clan elders trying not to glare at them.<p>

"Itachi, we have recently received an invitation for you to join ANBU. We accepted of course, but we thought it wise to remind you of what is expected from the Uchiha heir. Now you are part of the Hokage's personal army and you must not shame us. You must complete all assignments given with the best results. Of course you shall report everything to us once finished. You must rise through the ranks quickly and bring honor to the clan. _For the sake of the clan you must." _The young tensai almost flinched after that one phrase. Was his clan as really as self-absorbed as the white-haired girl had pointed out? Everything they had said up until that moment indicated that yes indeed she was correct. And they even had the gall to order him to report about ANBU missions! Did they not know that they were classified? Even he, who was currently a chunin knew this.

"You will be sent to a training camp in two days for five months and when you come back, we fully expect you to have risen above their expectations and show them how great the Uchiha clan is. Do you understand?" The stern looking old woman who was their honorary spokesperson asked him. He sighed inwardly but replied nonetheless.

"Hai."

* * *

><p>The red-haired man sitting in his office stared at the official scroll in his hands with growing dread. It seemed like their plans were not going on the right track at the moment. Oh no, especially with what he had just read. If the information were leaked, it would cause an international incident that they did not need at the moment. It seemed Orochimaru was on the move again and he resisted the urge to crush the fountain pen he had gotten as a gift from his beloved sister to pieces. What was the old snake up to this time? His last big plan had fallen out in failure, he had seen to that personally, but to open a hidden village? That did bode well for anyone and he couldn't help but wonder what the other Kage thought of this new unanticipated development. Perhaps they had just decided to leave him be? They had to take action, especially since the shape shifter had an intense grudge against Konoha. Maybe he would send old Sarutobi a message… Just to see what his plan of action was.<p>

"….-Sama?" He caught the last part of his title being called and realized he had been lost in his thoughts. Looking up from the paper in hand, he saw his assistant shifting from one foot to the other, looking at him nervously.

"Yes Junko-san?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her. She seemed to shrink under his gaze and he resisted the urge to sigh, after all these years of working for him, she was still painfully timid.

"W-what will out n-next course of action be?" The brunette asked, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear and adjusting her glasses. He thought about that for a bit; there was not much they could do about it really. All they could do was stay back and watch.

"Nothing. We shall just wait and see. Bring me Kenji." He the red-haired said leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Hai-cough!-sama." It seemed she choked a bit at the beginning. No matter. He wasn't that big on titles anyways.

He briefly wondered about how his younger sister was doing on her self-appointed mission…He missed his young sibling that had a mind much older than her years.

He was in the mood of a worthwhile game of Shogi.

* * *

><p>They had just finished their bath and Luna was now towelling little Sakura's fuzzy pink hair while the little girl was immersed in the documentary about the human body on TV and eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream they had left over from desert. She smirked in amusement when Sakura gasped at the detailed explanation of the digestive system then looked in wonder at the Ice cream in her lap. It seemed that she was very interested in the body.<p>

"Sakura? Do you understand what they are saying?" She asked setting aside the towel and grabbing the brush, running it gently through the pink hair which now smelled of lemons. It would have been better to use something scentless but she decided to just relax and let them indulge.

"Uh huh! They are talking about how the stomach muscles squeeze the food very hard and the releases it into the small intestine in a mixture called chyme. I think that it's all very interesting!" The white-haired girl pondered on that for a while, thinking that perhaps in a few years the girl could study medical ninjutsu when her chakra was more developed. Even if she already had excellent chakra control, she needed to wait a bit until her chakra coils were grown.

"I see. Well, we'll do something about that won't we?" She asked separating the long pink hair into four parts and started plaiting it instead of using three parts. She liked it better that way.

"What do you mean?" Was the confused question thrown her way. She smiled and hmm'd a reply. She carried on her task at hand and understood why Sakura was interested in the program. It was quiet interesting learning about the different parts of the body in detail, of course she already knew about them from all the training courses she had but it was still interesting to learn about it from a different perspective.

A few hours later it finished and she stood up from her place on the floor behind Sakura and yawned quietly, not forgetting to cover her mouth. Looking out the window, it was most probably only three in afternoon but already she was extremely tired. It was all the travelling she had done and she decided to sleep anyway.

"Sakura-chan, I am very tired. I am going to sleep now okay? When you are done eating, put the bowl on the tray and put it outside. Just by the door alright?" The little girl nodded and she knew she would do exactly as told. With a smile, she crawled into the left side of the bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p><em><strong>What the heck?! Only one review?!<strong>_

_**Le gasp!**_

_**21 views but only one review! Hmm...You guys have clearly been slacking off in your duties...**_

_**Anyway, second chapter came out a little earlier that promised so you should be happy! **_

_**I think for that I deserve more than one review for that don't you think?**_

_**Anyway, this chapter may seem unimportant but trust me, it's crucial to the plot.**_

_**I'm planning on making this story a three arc thing. **_

_**This is the first arc: The training Sakura bit which should last a most ten chapters. **_

_**Each chapter as well should be around four thousand words, bordering on five sometimes. **_

_**Anyway the next chapter should be on Wednesday and this time no early updates! **_

_**Please, Please review!**_

**_It should't even take five minuets of your time._**

**_And could someone please tell me the proper way to write 'Jinchuriki'?_**

**_Lots of love,_**

**_Bluetopianprincess^.^_**


	3. Chapter 3

When they had finally stepped foot in the desert, little Sakura knew that somehow, someway, their crossing would be extremely hard. How she knew, she did not know. That would be a mystery forever unsolved for many ages to come. "How Haruno Sakura knew that their crossing of the desert would be horrible" would be the title of the great epic.

And it seemed that the little five-year-old's fears were not unfounded because not even thirty minutes after the rocky terrain changed into golden sandy endless dunes, her self-proclaimed older sister stopped and set down her backpack. Sakura, always patient and silently curious, watched calmly as the white haired girl pulled the scroll that she had bought from the previous village after they left the inn. When they had stopped by the ninja store, she didn't think to question the yellow eyed girl's actions, instead occupying herself but looking at the various types of Shinobi sandals. And when the older youth noticed her interest, she bought her five pairs of her favorite in different sizes, so that when she was older, she could also have some! Now she was wearing the blue sandal with white laces going up the front and forming a bow at the top. The sandals reached a bit above her ankles and Sakura thought they were very comfy! Now the little girl knew why shinobi wore shoes like these all the time!

Once the scroll was unsealed, the older girl crouched down and stared at the emerald eyed girl critically. When satisfied, she beckoned the pink haired girl closer, and obedient as always, Sakura did as told.

"Hold out your arm for me Sakura," she commanded in her mentor voice. The pastel pink haired girl already knew that there was a thick line between "kind onee-san" and "serious onee-san". Now was serious onee-san. And she knew that serious onee-san did not joke around. Hurriedly, she did as she was told, holding a pale skinny arm put. Humming to herself, Sakura watched as the older girl picked something sleeve like from the scroll and slid it on her arm.

The effect was immediate and the pink haired girl's arm dropped down, extremely heavy all of a sudden.

"These are weights Sakura," the white haired said asked whilst putting one on her other arm, rendering both of them useless. "And you will be training with them on from now on. Your set is about five kilos and you will be wearing them on your arms, midriff and legs. You are not allowed to take them off unless you are washing. As you get used to them, I will gradually increase the weight. We are going to run to Suna with them on. If you cannot keep up with me, you will be left behind and possibly be lost to the giant desert of the Wind unless you are found or killed by bandits. You will also be carrying a one kilo block in your pack. Do you understand?"

Sakura was silently scared that she wouldn't be able to do it, and possibly disappoint her onee-san. And if she disappointed her onee-san, she might leave her alone and she would have no one left. Plus if she were useful to her onee, then maybe she could possibly show how grateful she was for everything the older girl had done for her! So at that moment, Sakura decided once again, that she would never be useless and disappoint her onee-san!

"Hai!" She said with a burning conviction that even the sunshine eyed girl could hear.

Nodding in acceptance, she lifted Sakura's shirt and clipped the midriff weight on her, instantly seeing the slouch which the younger girl sported. But she was surprised to note that the pinkette did not fall backwards like expected and she smirked in approval. Once again, she silently patted herself on the back for making such a good choice for taking on this child. She lifted up the girl's right leg and slipped on the leg warmer on, noticing that it reached her thighs. She did the same with the other leg and once satisfied, placed the heavy block in the younger girls backpack and slipped it on her shoulders. She was impressed to see that all though her legs were shaking and bent, and she was literally hunched over, the five year old still did not topple over.

"You still have you water bottle don't you?" Luna asked her while putting on her own set of weights.

"Yes, onee-san! And I also have that blanket you gave me! It's all in my pack!" Sakura declared, albeit a little less cheerful than normal.

The white haired girl nodded and stood still for a moment, trying to get used to the additional weight on her body. Once satisfied, she straightened up, and put on her backpack again, trying to control her shaking arm. "Good. Let us head out then." And then she took off running. She ran at a civilians pace because she knew that she had to pace herself before doing anything serious.

Little Sakura watched with growing horror as her sensei slowly but surely became a dot in the distance. What in the world was she going to do?! She couldn't even take one step without toppling over and she was expected to run?! All too soon for her tastes the white haired girl disappeared into the horizon and she was left alone.

Panicking, she tried to run forward, only so keel over and land with a soft thump on the ground.

This time she really couldn't move.

What was she going to do?

And judging by the sun's position it was nearing mid afternoon, and with the way the desert's sun hit you…well there wasn't much more to say.

So Sakura did the only this a five year old in her situation would do.

She started crying.

* * *

><p>Itachi had one more day before he was to leave for the training camp, so he decided to make it productive.<p>

What the white haired girl had told him (he still did not know her real name) had roused many questions from him. Firstly, what was she talking about when she said that what Konoha was doing to the Uchiha clan was not fair? And secondly, she had meant something when she indirectly said that they were power hungry. But what exactly did she mean? And most importantly, she had said that the village would perish.

Did that mean war was on the horizon?

If so, with who and why? He knew very well that Konoha was in no shape for a war at the moment. At least not so soon after that disastrous Kyuubi attack they had faced not even six years ago. The village had taken a major hit to their forces and was still recovering. In all honestly, if Iwa still wanted to gain control of the village, now was the best time to try.

He was practicing his aim when it happened.

And it happened.

One second, he was throwing a kunai at the target and the next he was dropping to the ground in order to dodge a razor sharp blade which was seconds away from beheading him. Rolling away quickly, he got up and quickly got into a position to defend and parry any other attacks sent his way. He was on edge now, because he realized that if his Sharingan wasn't on, that would have been his head on the floor.

"Hmm…Not bad. Not bad at all. Though what can I expect from the famed clan prodigy." A voice said from behind him and startled, he jumped around only to be greeted with the sight of a kunai to his jugular.

He was scared. He was terrified. How could he not have noticed this stranger move behind him? And he knew that if this person really wanted to kill him, he would be long gone.

"Hello there, little grandchild of mine. My, am I proud to see that our blasted family hasn't been slacking off in their duties. It seems that you at least are worthy of out noble name." The man said, sarcasm evident in his voice. Itachi watched with apprehension, carefully not to make any movements, not forgetting that the kunai was still there.

But what in the world was this man talking about? Grandchild? He only had one set of grandparents that he knew about and they were currently six feet underground. He discreetly gave the man a quick once-over. The stranger was wearing a long black coat with red clouds on it and a high collar. He was also wearing a swirly orange mask with only one eye hole.

Really, Itachi thought he looked like a street performer.

Belatedly, he realized that the man had stepped away and relaxed just a teeny weeny bit.

"Who are you?" He asked finally getting the courage to ask what had been on his mind since the beginning.

"Me? No one important. Just someone who you will eventually join in the future, that is all." That was the second time someone had told Itachi that, and he honestly had to wonder if these people were crazy. He was serious about being loyal to no one but Konoha.

"You said that I'm your grandchild earlier on," Itachi asked. "What did you mean by that?" He got the oddest feeling that the man in the mask was smirking at him.

"All you should know is that we are family. Isn't this fun Itachi-kun? Meeting another relative? I sure am excited." The masked man exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

Itachi only raised an eyebrow in question and the unnamed man stranger seemed to take it as a hint to continue.

"Never mind that. Onto more important things!" He said, his voice turning serious. "I have a proposition for you."

Itachi was interested now. What could a stranger possibly want from him?

"I hear that you've been invited to join the Black Ops," the man said cryptically. "My, what an amazing feat for one as young as you. Anyway, if you somehow manage to make it in, you'll become part of the Hokage's personal army. And then you'll be sent on missions that deal with the much darker side of the village."

"What do you mean darker side of the village?" Itachi asked, slightly confused.

"Why, Itachi-kun, you surely did not think that this village was as perfect as it appears to be. Every village has its secrets. Goody-two-shoes Konoha included. This brings me to my point exactly. Soon you'll discover a whole group of dark truths that this village has hidden for many years."

"Hn?" Itachi grunted, his silent question clear in the air.

"Join my organization," was the simple statement spoken surely.

"I am loyal to no one but Konoha," Itachi replied without missing a beat. To his surprise, the masked man chuckled heartily.

"Of course it wouldn't be that simple. And this brings me to my most important point. I'm sure you've wondered why our clan is being ostracized so much." In all honesty, the ten year old had not even noticed until the previous day.

The masked man continued. "And I'm sure you've been seeking answers for a while haven't you?" And in truth, Itachi was only going to start today.

"Well I can provide you with your long awaited answers," the man said.

Itachi was suddenly ten times more interested after that simple declaration, and the masked man knew it, judging by the way his body language shifted slightly into a more comfortable position. It meant he was smug.

"How?" Itachi asked.

"Go to the Naka shrine and in the main hall, beneath the seventh tatami mat from the far right, is a secret meeting place of the Uchiha clan. There stands a stone monument which contains our clan's secrets and can only be read with a specific dojutsu. Obviously, it's ours and there you'll find all you need to know. Go read it, and I'll meet you again in five months once your training is over."

And then the masked man disappeared before Itachi could reply.

Not long after, he heard a voice calling out his name but didn't bother to turn.

"Hey there baby cousin! What're you to out here all alone? Oh! Your training! Of course! Why am I not surprised? You need to have a little fun!" It was Shisui and Itachi really wasn't in the mood to deal with his carefree cousin.

So he walked away from him.

"Hey Itachi, are you alright?" He called out slightly worried.

"I'm fine." Itachi replied bluntly and carried on walking without a glance.

Shisui could only watch in confusion as his younger cousin walked away wondering what got his knickers in a twist.

* * *

><p>It had already been a day since she had been lost in this vast desert and Sakura was getting scared. What if she never found her onee again? What if she was lost in this desert forever and no one came to find her? Then what would she do? The sun was setting and soon it would be night time. The first night she had spent alone was terrible and she didn't want to have to go through it again. But now she knew it would be slightly better because she had gotten a bit used to the weights and she was currently sitting under a palm tree by an oasis.<p>

She had to stay calm and think about her current predicament. She had plenty water, a warm blanket and lots of shade but she knew that she couldn't stay there forever. And young as she was, even she knew that she couldn't be found by ninja or anyone. And if she could not find Luna, that was a big problem.

What she could do for now was focus on her chakra exercising techniques that her onee had taught her the previous week. The white haired girl had told her that if she tried really hard, she could sense other people. Or course her range wasn't more than a few meters but she had to try.

So getting into a cross-legged position and closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the little ball of blue light in her tummy and tried to expand it around her. It was hard. It was very hard especially for a five year old girl like her but she couldn't stop. Not if she wanted to ever see her onee-san again..

Little by little she expanded it around her, until finally she came across a chakra which was green in color. She perked up and concentrated on it. But to her immense disappointment, it wasn't her onee. Well, she supposed she shouldn't even have gotten her hopes up because her onee's chakra was white, but still.

Just as she was about to draw back, she caught something at the edge of her senses and strained to concentrate on it.

It was her onee's!

Sakura gasped in excitement and immediately drew back her inner radar. She had found her sister! How happy the little girl was.

Opening her eyes, she saw that it was dark out and the stars were out. She also realized how cold it was and reached into her pack for the heavy blanket that she had on hand. It seemed that she had been searching for several hours.

No matter. At least she had found her onee.

* * *

><p>So after Sakura took a large swig of cold water, she crawled into her self-made cocoon deciding that first thing the next day she would head into the direction she had sensed the other girl.<p>

Luna smirked when she felt Sakura's chakra nudge her.

It seemed that the little girl had found her after a day's separation.

'Not bad,' she thought. She expected that it would at least take two days to find her. It seemed that the pink haired girl's chakra control was extremely precise. To be able to sense someone else at the age of five was almost unheard of.

Well, if Sakura found her, it meant she had found Suna.

Yes, the white haired girl had made it to the Village Hidden in the Sand only a few hours ago and was currently walking around, observing. The city was empty at night, she remarked. Almost as if it's citizens were scared. And the few people she had met were Sand shinobi who had all given her suspicious looks, but otherwise said nothing.

She had planned to try and arrange a meeting with the Kazekage when Sakura had arrived, that way they could both meet him. Well Luna had already met him, two years previous when she had gone on that diplomatic mission with her father before he passed on. She wanted to discuss where he stood and if he was willing to be an ally. At the moment, she knew that Suna desperately needed one. Especially now when they were facing such a drastic recession. The fact that their own Daimyo was putting in mission requests with other Shinobi nations showed how badly they needed help.

Luna was about to turn the corner when she heard a shrill scream sound from one of the alleys and, being the overly curious person she was, decided to investigate. She quickly jogged in the direction she heard the sound and was confronted with a most gruesome sight.

Three Sand shinobi were being crushed to death in what looked to be coffins made of sand, and there was blood dripping everywhere.

But it wasn't the blood that had the white haired girl disturbed. It was the crying red-headed boy who stood in front of them. He was sobbing so hard that he couldn't even wipe away the tears without another flood coming. She quickly gathered that he was the Jinchuriki of the Sand. The holder of the Ichibi. Deciding now was the best time to make her move because somehow she knew that if she didn't do it now, then the opportunity would never arrive again.

By now, the men were long dead and the sand had already deposited their bodies on the floor. Slowly, cautiously, she made her way closer to the crying boy and pasted on the most comforting look she could. She stepped on a stray kidney and it made a sickening squelch under her sandal, drawing the little boy's attention. He tensed visibly, probably thinking that she was another shinobi trying to kill him. The white haired girl put her hands up in a way to show that she wasn't there to harm him but he still didn't relax. She supposed it was understandable, how many people did that to him on a daily basis just to turn around and stab him in the back?

So she did the only thing she knew would work.

She stopped perhaps a meter away from him and held her hand out like she would a puppy.

Of course she didn't expect him to actually sniff it, but to her immense surprise he did!

Slowly, he came closer, sniffing a little more and she supposed it was most probably the Bijuu in him testing to see if there was any ill intent.

Once satisfied, he relaxed visibly but was still crying. The yellow-eyed girl held her arms open invitingly, and he seemed to take the hint because he slowly but surely came closer until he was not even a hairs breadth away. He achingly slowly wrapped his own small arms around her and broke down crying even more. She held him there for what seemed for hours, just stroking his shaggy red hair and listening to his anguished tears and sniffles until they finally subsided.

"Are you done now, little one?" She asked softly. She could hear his soft sniffle but felt him nod his head against her stomach.

"Good, now what's your name?" She asked gently pushing him away so she could see his tear streaked face. He sniffled a bit more and she smiled, softly wiping away his tears.

"M-my name is Gaara," he said softly, looking at the ground gloomily.

So that was his name eh? Finally she knew it.

"Now, listen to me Gaara, I have a nice warm cup of chai teas as well as a soft comfy bed waiting for you at the inn. It's very cold out here, you know? Maybe below zero degrees, even! Would you like to come with me?" She asked him kindly. He seemed to be suspicious but she could see some hope in his eyes and knew that yes, this cute little boy was now on her side.

"R-really?" He asked hesitantly. She smiled wider and nodded and she could see that he had already accepted.

"Y-yes. I do want to come." He agreed happily, albeit a little softly.

"Well then, let's go."

* * *

><p>It was now around two in the morning. Little Gaara was currently sitting in bed in front of the fire place drawing contently, his teddy bear obediently by his side. The white-haired girl had booked a very nice inn. It was warm, neat and very comfortable.<p>

As she had promised, she had brought him back with her and given him a cup of tea and a few cookies that had been in the mini kitchenette that they had. He had also taken a nice warm bath in order to wash off all the sand and excess blood that had remained on him

After she had gently asked him what was going on in the alley earlier, he had hesitantly explained that his uncle, the only person he thought truly cared about him had just tried to kill him and had told him that he had always despised the green eyed boy. Heartbroken, the little boy was taking a walk when three Shinobi attacked him, trying to finish off his uncle's failed job. He killed them, and that's when Luna had come along. After he told the story, he had broken down crying again continuously, asking why he was such a monster and why everyone hated him.

It was enough to tug at Luna's heartstrings and she had comforted him by telling him that no, he was not a monster and not everyone hated him because she cared. Slowly he calmed down and then Luna gave him a piece of paper and the box of complimentary crayons to draw with since he couldn't sleep. Since then she had taken a shower, and ordered late night room service for the two of them. She was currently contemplating going to bed but didn't want to leave Gaara alone when a knock sounded on the window. Both she and Gaara looked up to see a masked Sand shinobi outside.

Gaara looked terrified, but she smiled reassuringly at him, calming him down a little. She quickly opened the window for the masked nin and she stood back expectantly waiting for him to deliver his message.

"Kazekage-sama wishes to see you. I am here to escort you to his office. You are to leave behind his son." Was the simple order. She looked at him intently and then nodded.

Turning back to the nervous panda-eyed boy she smiled at him and said that she would be back soon.

He looked reluctant to see her go but nodded anyways.

They took the sandy roofs of the village and arrived at the tower in less than ten minutes.

He escorted her up the stairs and through the empty hallways until they reached a big wooden door which he tapped three times. They heard a muffled "Come in" and entered.

Luna was greeted with the sight of an older looking version of the young boy currently back at the inn hunched over his desk with mountains of paperwork surrounding him. She figured he would have a lot of work with the way the village was going.

"Ah, you have brought her. You may leave now." He ordered the ninja who did as told without hesitation and left the two of them in peace.

As soon as he left she bowed low, and greeted him with an "Honorable Kazekage-sama."

He grunted in acknowledgement and got straight to business.

"Might I ask what you are doing with my son?" He asked coldly, leaning forward and crossing his arms on the desk.

"Your son? Ah, Gaara! What a sweet child he is!" She said in a way one would discuss the weather. "Tragic the way he is treated don't you think?" In a flash, the leader of the village was in front of her with a kunai at her neck. She smirked at him, masking her inward fear with a mask of indifference.

"Do not play games with me," he growled down at her. "I am in no mood for it. Answer my question to my satisfaction and your life might be spared. You have five seconds."

Sometimes she forgot what it was like to be a child, considering most of the time she didn't act like one. But now she remembered that yes, she was only ten years old, and the height difference between her and a grown man was so big that the Kazekage was crouching but still had to look down at her. She was slightly scared, as she was no match for a Kage, but she knew that if she played her cards right, there was almost nothing to be afraid of.

"Your son was in danger," she stated bluntly. He raised an eyebrow in question at her and she took it as her cue to continue.

"I was walking past when I heard a scream and saw him being attacked by three of your own shinobi," she explained. "He quickly dispatched of them but was crying something fierce. Seeing a little child crying, I did the only logical thing in that situation. I went to help him. He took a liking to me and I brought him back to my room at the inn, bathed him and fed him. End of story. Though it seems that his uncle had just betrayed him. Sad really. And no, I'm not an enemy, nor did I poison him."

He thought over her story for a moment before coming to the conclusion that no, she was not lying and slowly lowered his weapon and stood before her.

"What is your name child?" He asked curious as to who this little girl was. Never had he been spoken to like this before, not even by the elders.

"Luna," she replied simply.

"No family name?"

"I do not see how it is relevant to our conversation," was the white haired girl's response. He almost scolded her for her lack of respect but decided against it. He would let it slide.

"You seem familiar…Luna," he added as more of an afterthought.

"I met you two years ago on a diplomatic mission with my father," she answered. He hummed a reply and went back to his seat.

"I remember. You are Byakuya's daughter," he asked, mostly to be polite. "You have grown. How is you father by the way?"

"He's dead," she stated bluntly.

"Shame. Was the only competent leader out there. Who now holds his title?" He asked, leaning back in his chair. Luna watched him intently before answering.

"My oldest brother, Kazekage-sama."

"I see. Tell me, what is your purpose here in Suna?" He scoffed, sarcasm evident in his voice. "Obviously you are not here for the sights."

She smirked wider. "I have a proposition for you." She declared.

"Oh? What deal can I make with a child not even half my age?" He asked clearly amused at the prospect.

"Looks are deceiving Kazekage-sama. Do not underestimate me. But I find it quite tiresome to discuss business this late at night, or should I say early in the morning? I have only just arrived and haven't had the chance to rest yet. Might we not be able to continue this conversation later? At a more convenient time?" She asked fake yawning. She felt him watching her but made no indication that she was uncomfortable.

Soon he nodded.

"Fine. Later at one 'o clock. Do not be late." He declared, and all of a sudden a masked Nin was next to her again.

"Escort her back to the inn. And leave Gaara with her for as long as he likes." And then he was back to his paperwork, visibly dismissing them.

She was a tad bit surprised at what he said about Gaara but let it slide. She was being honest when she said she was tired.

* * *

><p>Itachi couldn't sleep. Not after all he had read earlier that day.<p>

He couldn't even begin to describe the horror that he felt after what he discovered. The Uchiha clan was not noble at all!

No, they were ruthless power hungry sharks that deserved to be treated the way they did by the Hokage. He didn't even know how he would be able to accept another mission without bowing his head in shame.

He would never help them. Even if they were his family.

And he certainly wouldn't join that masked man's organization.

But the white haired girl...he had to hear what she had to say first.

Because at the moment, he wasn't too sure where his loyalties lay.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Well, I updated early, despite the fact that I said I wouldn't.<em>**

**_Thanks to my awesome Beta Reader Operaghost11235 for making this chapter so much better!_**

**_Love her!_**

**_Please Review!_**

**_Bluetopianprincess_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Review...Review...Review...\( ^o^)/**_

* * *

><p>When Sakura woke up at the break of dawn that morning, she was in a very good mood despite the early hour. She somehow knew that it was going to be a very good day. Already it had started off to a great beginning, with her being able to at least stock up on water and eat a coconut (although it sure was hard) so she was pretty chipper.<p>

Packing up her blanket that she had used and making sure her bag was secured on her back, she set off in the direction she felt her onee-chan's chakra the previous night with a skip in her step and a grin on her face. Today she was going to find her sister, she was completely sure of that. She was also very happy to notice that her weights didn't seem as heavy as they did before, and she could actually jog in them. It seems that three days with them on was enough for her to get used to them. Her sister would be so proud!

Her only problem was how long it would take…

* * *

><p>Gaara was currently sitting on the bed, watching Luna get dressed after she had showered. He was wondering how her hair was so white! Never in his life had he seen hair like hers, and he was pretty amazed. So amazed, in fact, that he had spent the whole night playing with it, which was the whole reason the girl in question had woken up to the sight of a little red haired boy frowning in concentration whilst plaiting three strands. At first she had almost attacked the unsuspecting five year old, but she held back her punch just inches from his shocked face. Then she had calmly explained that no, it wasn't wise to do that to a ninja. The poor boy didn't really understand why but he had nodded like he understood at the time. Then she had bathed him (after all, he was still only five) and had proceeded to get ready herself.<p>

Apparently, they had a very busy day ahead of them. Gaara was so happy when he had heard the yellow eyed girl say "they", meaning that he was going along with her. This would be the first time someone other than his uncle had been so kind to him, and he secretly hoped it wasn't because she wanted to hurt his feelings again. He still wasn't too sure about that yet…but he supposed that if someone was still willing to be so nice to him, he wasn't about to stop them.

"Gaara-kun," she paused, almost falling over whilst trying to put on her shoe "Are you ready?" She asked once she had regained her balance. The little boy nodded and hopped of his perch on the bed to stand next to her, and she smiled down next to him and ruffled his already messy hair.

"Good. It's around nine, so we'll go and get breakfast, go shopping and at one, I need to see your father. That may take a while but after that we can do whatever you want. Okay Gaara-kun?" She asked whilst locking the door to their room. Gaara seemed hesitant, but nodded anyway and continued on with her. As soon as they exited the doors to the inn, they were met with many hateful glares from nearby passersby, civilians and ninja alike. Poor Gaara immediately became more withdrawn and hid behind the older girl's legs. She smiled at him reassuringly and glared back at anyone who dared do it to Gaara, making them avert their gazes.

"Just ignore them, little one. You did nothing wrong. Come, we must make haste if we want to stay on schedule." She instructed and walking faster.

The morning passed quickly after that, with them too busy shopping for ninja supplies to notice and soon it was almost time for that meeting with the Kazekage. Luna couldn't stop thinking about it though, wondering how she was even going to start. She had to be careful with her wording; otherwise she could possibly insult him and then never have a chance like this again. And she knew how stubborn that man was.

Her train of thought was cut off by a familiar chakra signature entering her radar, and she smiled approvingly.

It seemed that Sakura had found Suna.

So crouching down in front of Gaara, who was currently inspecting a kunai on the rack of the weapons store, she drew his attention.

"Listen Gaara-kun, how would you like having another friend to play with?" She asked him.

Gaara panicked what if she was going to leave him like everyone else? Or what if he was being replaced by some newer and better person? He should have known that this couldn't last…she was being too kind to him. Holding back tears that were threatening to spill and looked at his feet. He didn't reply, for fear of bursting into tears right there and then. Though it seemed that the older girl had already guessed what was going through his head at that moment, and she crouched down in front of him, smiling reassuringly. She didn't say anything to him, all her words being communicated through that one smile, and then the red haired boy knew that he was wrong, and she would never replace him.

So he smiled shakily, sniffed a bit and nodded.

"Good. Then let us go to the gates, she will be arriving shortly. We'll come back later." Luna said in a compassionate voice.

* * *

><p>Off they went, dodging both civilians and Luna discreetly avoiding kunai which were suspiciously headed in Gaara's direction. He didn't know she was doing it, thank kami but it was still sad that people hated him that much. Luna had to force down her temper in order not to launch back a kunai at them.<p>

Soon they arrived at the two giant sand rocks that the people called walls. Luna had to admit that it was a good defense mechanism. The whole village was located inside a giant sand crater that if you were walking and didn't know where to look, could miss the whole thing. It created and illusion that if you were staring straight, would think that there was no cavity whatsoever. Not to mention that if you did somehow find it, there were these two giant sand gates that also acted as the village walls, and all the buildings were made of sand, you could also completely miss it, if not paying attention. That's why it was so easy to get lost in this giant desert if you didn't know where to look, and that was what had saved Suna from invasions many times.

"What do you want little girl?" A guard asked gruffly as they approached the gates. Luna was already in a very bad mood and did not appreciate being called 'Little girl'. Standing up to her full height, she glared at him angrily, making him falter slightly. The white haired girl scoffed, look who was scared of this 'little girl' now.

"Listen here you uncivilized barbarian, I am in no mood to deal with your demeaning comments at the moment, so this is what you are going to do-"

"You are going to let her through the gates and do as she pleases. Do not insult a high ranking figure and embarrass Suna more than you already have." A sharp voice interrupted. The guard immediately looked like he was about to shit himself and turn an unhealthy shade of white.

"K-K-Kazekage-sama! A thousand apologies! I did not know! Please Miss, I had no idea!" He begged, terrified. Luna was shocked to find the Kazekage suddenly standing next to her, and Gaara was silently shaking, his hand barely staying still inside her own.

"Do not do it again." And with that, the Kage had clearly dismissed him. The man nodded and quickly moved aside to let them pass.

"K-Kazekage-sama! It is dangerous to go outside without any ANBU at your side!" A man exclaimed running up to them. Luna saw from the corner of her eyes the red haired man roll his own and frown.

"Guro, I think I, as your Kage, am strong enough to go outside my village without guards." He said bluntly.

"B-but still!" The man protested.

"Go and finish my paperwork. I am taking a break. Do not follow me; do not send anyone after me. Or else…" And then he turned around and walked away. Both Gaara and the yellow eyed girl hurried after him, but made sure to stay two feet behind.

"Greetings, honorable Kazekage." Luna saluted softly when they had exited the gates.

"Luna. Gaara, do you not greet your father?" He asked his shaking son.

"My apologies. G-good afternoon father." Gaara stammered out. It seemed that the red haired Kage was relatively satisfied and just replied with a grunt. Gaara visibly slouched in relief and calmed down a bit.

They were now walking up the sandy hill in order to mount the top of the crater, and the white haired girl was silently peeved to see that both father and son had no problem climbing a hill of constantly shifting and sliding sand. How they did it, she did not know but they walked as if it was a paved road. After almost falling back many times, finally they made it to the top and once again Luna was greeted with the sight of an almost seeming endless desert and the sun beating down her back.

She hated Wind Country.

"Kazekage-sama, may I ask a question?" She asked finally, after many silent minuets of silently pondering her answer.

"I was at the gates because I was following you around the village," he stated. A bit shocked and disturbed that one; he already knew her question and two, and he openly admitted to stalking them as if it was no big deal. She supposed it wasn't, considering the fact that he had every right to do so, but it still disturbed her. Did he know everything they had done?

"I see. Well I was leaving because my little sister is due to arrive in-" She paused, scanning for chakra until she found a little green one moving closer towards them, "about thirty minutes." She finished.

"You have a little sister?" He asked, surprising both she and Gaara by sitting down crossed-legged on the ground. Was a Kage supposed to do that? Couldn't he control sand to make a chair of something…?

Inwardly shrugging, something she would never do in public, she decided to sit down as well, albeit at a respective distance.

"We are not related by blood. I found her crying and beaten in an alley three months ago and since she had great potential, decide to take her as my weapon. I am currently training her and have come to take her as a little sister." The Kazekage stared at her closely then asked the most unexpected thing in the world.

"How old are you?" He inquired. It seemed that he was full of surprises to day. Perhaps he was in a good mood.

"I will be eleven in December." She answered.

"Hn. Learn how to answer questions properly. I asked you how old you were and you did not answer me properly. Foolish mistakes like that could be used against you." He stated bluntly.

"I understand sir," was her obedient reply.

He asked after a few minutes, "You are but a child yourself, yet you act older than your years. Why is that?"

"I have been told that many times, and my reply has always been the same. Ignorance, naivety and stupidity are the three most deadly killers in the ninja world. I have learned the hard way." She replied absentmindedly, watching Gaara form different animals with the sand.

"I see. My son should be more like you then." Was the Kage's response.

"No he shouldn't," she said.

The brown eyed man did not reply to that and instead change the subject. "What was it you wanted to discuss?"

"Is this the safest place to talk about it?" She asked surprised. To her disbelief, he smirked.

"It is much safer than my own office, I can assure you of that," he stated. She had a feeling that he wasn't joking.

"…I see. Well then, I have come to Suna as an ambassador. There is war on the horizon," she said seriously. The smirk was wiped off his face and he was giving her all his attention.

"You have just confirmed my worst fears. Suna is in no condition to fight at the moment…" He replied seriously.

"I know this. And this is why I have come. We are willing to offer our services to your village in exchange for an ally. We know you are already hesitant to trust anyone, and we also know that you have been in contact with Orochimaru." Luna didn't have time to blink before a kunai was at her neck. In less than twenty-four hours, she was put in a position that if she were to swallow she would die. And it was still the same person.

"Who told you that?" He demanded, eerily calm. The white haired girl had to calm, her heartbeat by taking a deep breath before she could reply.

"Our spies have been following Orochimaru and saw him enter Suna," she explained to him carefully. "We entered the infiltrated the village and saw you two talking. I swear on my birthright that we were not looking to harm the village, it was just to track and eliminate the snake sannin."

He searched her eyes for any hint that she was lying and inwardly even though she could die at any moment, she couldn't help but gain an ego boost from being taken seriously by a Kage. Seemingly satisfied, he only slightly eased the pressure on her neck, and she could swallow again. The weapon was still there, just not screaming its presence in her face.

"What is your point?" He asked, impatient for her to carry on.

"Orochimaru is using you. He is bad news. Trust us when we tell you this. And this is why we are willing to help you. Who knows when war is going to break out and your village will be weak ad unprepared. If you become our ally, we can become trade partners. Considering the fact that we do not need anything as we produce it ourselves, you will be gaining more out of this agreement than we are..." she paused, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and to see his reaction. He was listening to her, and thinking about what she was saying.

Satisfied that she was getting across to him, the young girl continued.

"All we want is an ally. Someone we can count on." She finished. He remained quiet and she slowly moved back and stood up. He let her.

"It seems that Sakura has arrived. Thank you for your time, Kazekage-sama," she said. The red haired man stared at her for a while, then disappeared in a swirl of golden sand.

Gaara's attention was back on her when he heard the telltale 'swoosh' and he looked at her questioningly. She smiled and shook her head, silently telling him that it was nothing important.

Not even five minutes later, a pink blob appeared in the distance moving towards them. It drew both their attention and they turned to it. Gaara looked at her mystified, the question in his eyes. The young boy was never big on talking, and always preferred to communicate silently, if communicate at all.

"Yes, it is her. It she looks pink because that's the color of her hair. Come on, stand up now. She's almost here." The turquoise eyed boy did as told and got up and shuffled over to stand next to the white haired girl. Well it was more like hide behind but it didn't really matter.

It seemed that Sakura had finally spotted them because all of a sudden, the blob was moving faster and a shout of "Onee-chan!" rang throughout the area.

Luna smiled and braced herself for the oncoming collision that was inevitable. Soon, a solid and very heavy wall knocked the breath out of her and the cries on a child rang in her ears. If she was a lesser person, she would have been knocked on the ground, dazed. Gaara, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to do, as he had quickly scrambled away in fear of being trampled upon by this pink haired rhino. Now he was awkwardly standing off to the side watching Luna-chan comfort a crying pink haired girl. Said pink haired girl was crying and sniffling on HIS Luna-chan.

Pink. The little boy couldn't get over the fact that she had pink hair. He thought he had seen it all when Luna-chan had arrived with her paper white hair but no…It seemed there was more.

"Sakura, stop crying now. I told you that if you couldn't keep up you would be left behind. But I now you are here because I knew you could find me again. Now, you are here and that's enough. I want you to meet someone." Luna said seriously, pushing the pink haired girl off her, firmly but gently. The pink haired girl sniffled a bit but stopped crying.

"Sakura, say hi to Gaara. Gaara, this is Sakura. I want you guys to be friends." She instructed. It was amusing to watch, two children who looked almost exactly alike standing five feet away from each other and shuffling from foot to foot, quite nervous. Both of them were naturally shy and withdrawn, but she was sure that if one of them could gain the courage to talk, they would be like twins joined at the hip.

After five minutes of awkward silence Sakura slowly and timidly shuffled forward.

"H-hello, my name is Sakura, and I am five years old…I think your eyes are really pretty!" She blurted out, and Gaara's head snapped up to look at her making her take a step back, startled.

Gaara on the other hand was staring at her in wonder. Never in his life had someone ever said that his eyes were pretty! Ever!

"R-really? I think your hair is also really n-nice…A-and I'm five years old too!" He added at the end. Luna smiled softly, they were so cute and were already getting along.

"Alright. How about we go back to the inn and let Sakura-chan get cleaned up, alright? Then we can go get lunch and maybe get ice cream." The snowy haired offered.

"Yay! Ice cream! Let's go!" The green eyed girl was back to her cheerful persona now that she was comfortable around Gaara.

"Ice cream?" Gaara asked confused. Luna and Sakura turned to stare at him.

"Yes Do you not like ice cream Gaara-kun?" Luna asked surprised. She wasn't really expecting that.

"W-what is 'ice cream'?" He asked timidly. The two girls were shocked to hear his question and Luna raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know what ice cream is, Gaara-kun?!" Sakura exclaimed as if it was the end of the world. The little boy blushed a shade even darker than his haired and shook his head, embarrassed.

"Well then, I think we better hurry so Gaara can have some do you not think Sakura?" Luna asked smiling and getting up from her crouched position and walking back to the village gates.

"Hai! Let's go Gaara-kun!" Sakura said grabbing his hand and rushing after her big sister.

"Oh my gosh! Look, it's a hill of sand! Onee-chan! Can we roll down! Please?!" Sakura begged. Gaara just watched her in question, wondering what she meant. Luna, who had ski'd down, nodded and moved back to give them room.

To the red haired boy's surprise, the pink haired girl flopped down on the ground, taking him with her and then gravity took its course and pulled them down, making them both roll down the hill, limbs tangled and sprawled everywhere. Sakura was laughing the whole way down whereas Gaara was terrified. This girl was crazy! It seemed he couldn't even get his bearings because it seemed that anytime he saw the sky, his face was shoved into the sand again.

To his immense relief, they finally made it to the bottom with an "omff!" from both of them. Gaara could only lay still and watch the world spin around as Sakura disentangled herself from him and stood up, stumbling and walking in a zigzag pattern before finally falling down again.

"Haha! That was so much fun! Wasn't it, Gaara-kun?" Sakura asked smiling brightly, stumbling over to him only to trip over her own feet and fall flat on top of him, laughing the whole way down. Her face was buried in his stomach and he on the other hand could not breathe.

"Okay little ones, enough of that. Sakura-chan get off him. He cannot breathe. We should go now." Luna instructed, pulling the emerald eyed girl off of him, letting the air rush out of his lungs.

"Yes, onee-chan." Sakura agreed.

* * *

><p>"Okay Sakura, I've increased the weight by about four kilos," Luna said, adjusting the young girl's leg weights. "We'll increase the weight every three days by four kilos exactly. The block in your pack now weighs about three kilos as well. I'm happy that you got used to it so quickly. Now your training can progress faster. " Sakura was visibly slouching trying not to fall back but obviously failing.<p>

Gaara wondered why she thought it was so heavy. According to what he had gathered, her weights only weighed nine kilos each. His own sand gourd weighed about twenty-five. And that was without sand.

Sakura had just finished bathing and had change into fresh clothes. When the white haired girl saw how easily Sakura was moving, she decided to increase the weight. Sakura had then pretended it was super heavy but Luna wasn't buying it and increased it anyway.

"We'll begin your new training regime tomorrow and we'll head outside the gates. Tell me Gaara, have you had any ninja training?" She asked him. He nodded in confirmation and she stared at him pensively.

She decided to test something. Pretending to busy with Sakura's arm weights, she discreetly took out a kunai and launched it at him at her fastest speed. None of the children had seen the kunai until Gaara's sand had blocked it and it had been trapped in it.

Just as she had thought.

Gaara just stared at her in shock and horror, shaking. Sakura was just watching her onee-san with a questioning look, wondering why she did that. Already the young five year old was forming different answers in her head and after much thought, the pink haired girl came to one conclusion. Her sister was testing Gaara for some reason.

"W-why Luna-chan?" Gaara asked hurt in his eyes. Luna just smiled at him reassuringly and patted his head making the young boy flinch slightly.

"Forgive me Gaara-kun. I was just testing something. I would never hurt you. I'm sorry for scaring you." Gaara relaxed and shuffled forward to hug her, needing reassurance. He trusted her. He still trusted his Luna-chan. Sakura on the other hand was happy to know that she was correct in her assumptions.

"Okay then, Gaara, tell me, how is your taijutsu?" She asked him once he had pulled back. Sakura saw him blush and look at the ground in embarrassment.

"Not good," Gaara explained. "No one can train me in taijutsu because every time they try, my sand blocks it. And Baku say's that I don't need it because of my Ultimate Defense."

It was exactly as Luna had thought. Because his sand blocked all attacks, no one really bothered to teach it to him, saying he would never need it. That was where they were wrong though, because there was always someone faster and stronger out there and that was why you needed to hone your skills to their limits. So she thought that she would teach Gaara the basic Suna taijutsu style. She knew all five styles from each nation. They came in handy when she fought, to be able to change fighting styles in order to confuse opponents.

"Alright Gaara, then tomorrow, I'll start teaching you. You already know the basics of the Sand fighting style I gather?" She asked standing back.

The red haired boy nodded.

"Okay, then we'll continue on from your level tomorrow." Luna said and Gaara looked vaguely excited.

"Ne…when can I start learning taijutsu?" Sakura asked.

This wasn't the first time Sakura had asked the question and Luna would always reply with the same answer; "You are not ready yet Sakura." But she supposed teaching Sakura Suna's fighting style was okay.

The reason Luna didn't want to teach Sakura her fighting style yet was because you needed to be flexible in order to do it, as well as have enough muscle. Plus if you didn't have speed, it wouldn't work that well.

"You can learn with Gaara tomorrow. Okay Sakura?" She replied. The little pink haired sapling looked ecstatic to finally be able to learn.

"Thank you onee-chan!" She said smiling.

"How about we go and get lunch and that ice cream we promised Gaara-kun? And then we're going to carry on that shopping that got interrupted. There are many weapons we need, and the stock in Suna is very good."

* * *

><p>Luna was currently standing next to Sakura in the Kazekage's office, waiting for him to finish talking to his assistant. Gaara was sitting next to his father playing with his teddy bear. Finally, finished their heated argument, the leader of The Village of the Sand turned and gave Luna his full attention.<p>

"I have thought about your proposition," he stated, leaning back in his big chair and crossing his arms. "It interests me greatly. But I have some questions for you."

"Ask away, Kazekage-sama." Luna replied.

"Firstly, why come to Suna? Why not Konoha or Kumo, who is at the moment, the stronger of the Shinobi Villages?" The brown eyed man asked. It was a logical question. Who in their right mind would want a village as weak as Suna as an ally and be willing to offer many of their produce for nothing but an alliance in return?

"We chose Suna because it is the most stable Hidden Village at the moment." Luna stated bluntly. The Kage raised an eyebrow at that. With all that was going on, he didn't think so.

"Despite all appearances, Konoha is going through many problems," the snowy eyed girl explained. "Especially after the Kyubi attack. It is also going throw a power struggle. Albeit it's not that known, it is obvious enough to those who are willing to look closely. The village elders have too much power and despite everything the Hokage is doing, he cannot get it back."

The Kazekage scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm not surprised. Hiruzen is soft, and the fact that the village elders were once his teammates makes him easily manipulated." Luna agreed wholeheartedly but kept silent.

"We didn't go to Kumo because the Raikage is arrogant and would take any offer of help as an insult," she finished. "Kiri and Iwa are out of the question." She was vaguely aware of Sakura paying rapt attention to what they were saying, and she was glad to see that the pink haired girl was taking this seriously. It could benefit her to know how to talk to high ranking figures in the future.

"I see your point," he asked staring her right in the eye. "My second question is what you will gain out of this. It hardly seems fair to give so much and gain so little."

"As I said before, war is coming," she said, smirking at him. "Who knows when? What better way to assure your survival that to have allies to help you?"

"You are all planning something," the man stated confidently.

"Even more reason to become an ally."

"…You are exactly like your father. Clever and ruthless. But that is beside the point. I accept your offer," he said smirking. "But if you betray us, you will see just how strong Suna can get."

"Expect a courier bird in a few hours with the contract," Luna told him. "My brother has already signed." He watched her closely a little bit more before nodding and motioning to her that she was dismissed.

"It was nice doing business with you, Kazekage-sama." She said just as the doors were about to close.

She was pretty sure that she heard him chuckle.

* * *

><p><em><strong> Okay then! Chapter four is up and running! And I mean running;) <strong>_

_**Sorry for taking so long with this but time gets even the best of us.**_

_**Do you guys have something against reviewing? You're all so mean to me*cries* 100 views are great...but it would bet way better with reviews to match...;)**_

_**Anyway, I forgot to say thanks to my last(and only) two reviewers...So Thanks!...You know who you are;)**_

_**And I don't think I can ever forget about my awesome beta, she's actually the one who got me to get my ass in gear! **__**The one and only(and awwzzum) Operaghost11235! And yes, I think Ice cream in the desert is pretty epic too;)**_

_**I'm big on winks today...Its funny how they make everything sound perverted. **_

_**But I guess we all are on the inside;) **_

_**I was listening to Katy Perry's 'This is how we do' while writing this whole chapter so I really couldn't keep still. At all. For those who have heard the song, y'all know what I'm talking 'bout;)**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW! **_

_**Winks for the world,**_

_**Bluetopianprincess;)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Review...Review...Review...\( ^o^)/**_

* * *

><p>They had spent a week in Suna, discussing the terms and agreements of the treaty they were signing. During that time, little Sakura had become inseparable, never far behind the other. The Kazekage had also developed a liking for the white haired girl, claiming that she was more worthy to be his child than any of his children. This also caused the Kage to be harsher with Gaara on the basis that he was "weak". It was a shock to the girl in question to hear him say that but all she could do was respond with a humble "thank you".<p>

During that time, she had also trained a lot with both children, teaching them both the Sunan fighting style. Gaara, being the prodigy he was, grasped it quickly and was already better than most genin. Sakura, on the other hand, was still trying to get the hang of it, but she was doing relatively well for someone of her small stature. She already knew the moves, but her attacks lacked power. Luna had also taught both of them chakra growing exercises to broaden their coils and enable for a bigger chakra supply. She had also stocked up on many weapons made only in Sand as well different herbs and medication. After all, the Sand had the best collection of herbs in all of the Shinobi Nations.

But sadly now, it was time to leave, as they could not stay forever. The only problem was that Gaara didn't want to let go of her. Sakura was crying as well, but she listened to her onee-chan anyway because she had promised to do anything the older girl instructed, no questions asked.

"Listen Gaara-kun," the snowy haired girl pacified, gently easing Gaara away from her. "Sakura and I will miss you dearly, but we cannot stay in Suna forever. I promise that we will write to you often." The Kazekage was glaring at his son. Sakura guessed it was because the young red haired boy refused to listen to his father. The little pink haired sapling understood why Gaara was so sad, but she really couldn't do anything about it.

"B-but what if I don't ever see Luna-chan and Saku-chan again?" He sniffled.

"But you will, I'll come and visit you often!" Luna exclaimed. It seemed that everyone missed the fact that she said "I''. Everyone but the Kazekage.

"Baki!" The Kage exclaimed, finally fed up with his son. "Take Gaara away from here and make him get started on his studies. I let him have too much free time." A man in full Sand shinobi ensemble came forward and roughly picked up the crying and shrieking red haired five year old, throwing him over his shoulder. Luna wanted to protest but knew better than to do so.

"Goodbye, Gaara-kun," she said, smiling sadly. Sakura too waved, tears still streaming down her face. They really would miss him.

"Thank you for your generosity Kazekage-sama," Luna said, bowing politely once Gaara was out of sight.

The Kage grunted in response and nodded at her. "It was no problem. You did Suna a great favor." He replied. The yellow eyed girl nodded and smiled.

"Thank you once again, and my apologies for Gaara's behavior. It is my fault. I do not mean to be rude, but Sakura and I have a long journey ahead of us. Thank you for everything once again."

"As I said before, it was no problem," the red haired man said." Leave now while there is still daylight," Luna took his instructions to heart, nodding once more and proceeding onwards to the gate. Mist was very far away and they had to be quick in order to get there. During their stay in Suna, they had received word from spies that the Kaguya clan had tried to perform a coup d'etat and had been massacred in turn, leaving one survivor, and the snowy haired girl had a pretty good idea as to who that survivor was.

They didn't have time to waste, and that was why as soon as they had exited the gates, she had instructed Sakura to remove her weights and give them to her. The yellow eyed girl also removed her own and placed both sets into a sealing scroll. She needed to be quick this time. If she knew Orochimaru as well as she thought she did, she knew that he would be fast in trying to sink his teeth into the child.

Such a valuable bloodline limit could not be left to die.

* * *

><p>Two weeks.<p>

Two fucking weeks.

Luna wasn't one to swear, but she supposed that she had every right to in this situation. The two of them had arrived in Kiri a week before, and they had been looking for Kimimaro since. How hard was to find a six year old child?! Pretty damn hard, she could say! She was starting to think that the old snake Sannin had already found him before she could and was on the verge of giving up. Kiri was a big village, but not that big! And it didn't help that it was literally surrounded and filled with mist! She knew that was the point but it was still irritating.

She had left Sakura in the hotel room, secured with multiple jutsu and she had instructed her to keep the curtains closed and not go anywhere near the windows. The village was in a very unstable state at the moment and she couldn't risk losing Sakura. She too had taken many precautions, dyeing her hair dark blue and putting black contacts. Henge were just too risky. She had also put on old clothes making her look like a normal academy student, out for a stroll after school. Though she was anything but that. She had been out since morning, looking for that damned child who just wouldn't show up, and she was seriously contemplating just heading back to the inn room.

"Hey you! Come back here! Stop!" An angry voice shouted across the streets, drawing her attention. .

Turning around, she saw a man chasing after someone she could not see. Attention captured, she followed, but acting nonchalant about it. The man tripped over a can and fell to the floor, face first. But she didn't stop to look, instead she quickly made sure no one was looking her way and jogged in the direction the man was running. She had to be fast or else she could lose the person. Turning a corner, she saw it was a dead end. Sighing angrily, she turned to leave and she was almost completely gone when she heard the noise of one of the numerous crates falling and a muffled whimper.

Turning back, she prepared herself for disappointment once again and ventured deeper into the alley.

Just as she was about peer closer, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"I never knew you were one to poke your nose into things, cousin."

"Mei," she answered, turning around and pasting on a smile. There stood her older cousin, in all her red haired glory, giving her a smirk that screamed haughtiness.

"Luna! How I've missed you!" She asked coming forward, arms open for a hug. "What are you doing here in Mist? Come to pay me a visit?" Luna rolled her eyes and calmly dodged the teen.

"I've come to pay you a visit of course!" The white haired girl replied. She wasn't lying; because that was another reason she had come. She just didn't go to see the fifteen year old immediately. Kimimaro taking priority.

"Oh really now?" The green eyed girl asked with a raised eyebrow. "And it took you a week to come see me?" Leave it to her cousin to know that.

"So you knew I was here? Why not approach me sooner then?" Luna asked crossing her arms.

"I wanted to know what you were doing first. And it seems I've finally figure it out. You're looking for the last survivor of the Kaguya aren't you?" Was the smug reply. As soon as she said this loud but small gasp rang throughout the alley drawing both their attention. They looked at one another, and then slowly approached the sound. Luna got there fast, seeing as she was the closest and was met with the sight of a cowering and shaking white haired child.

He was tiny, skinny and dirty. He was so skinny that you could see the clearly defined bones of his rib cage from the giant hole in his shirt. The way he looked at them was heart breaking, with such fear in his eyes that one would think they were is worst nightmare come to life.

"Kimimaro?" Luna asked hesitantly, aghast. The little boy immediately tried to scoot back into the corner, though he was already as far in as possible.

"We are not going to hurt you little one." The white haired girl told him, patting his head gently. Kimimaro still didn't budge, and Luna slowly took his very reluctant and shaking form into her arms. She looked at Mei, and nodded at her, the older girl understanding exactly what she wanted to say. And as if on cue, both girls teleporting out of the alley at the same time, leaving no trace that they were there.

* * *

><p>Sakura was pretty shocked when her onee-chan just poofed into the room with a red head and a young boy who looked pretty worse for wear than she had ever been.<p>

But both girls ignored her completely and quickly huddled around the young boy who was still scared of them all.

The two girls worked with each other as if the both already knew what to do. The red head went to draw a bath whilst the white haired girl stripped him down and carried him to the bathroom.

"Sakura! Get some food prepared for Kimimaro. You still have the box of take-away that I bought you for lunch I assume?" Luna asked in a no nonsense voice. Little Sakura could only nod silently in reply. "Good," Luna continued. "Put that on the table and we'll give it to him."

Sakura did as told immediately, only slightly peeved that her lunch was being given away, but she knew that the little boy needed it more than she did.

As the little girl was taking out the brown paper bag out of the mini fridge and putting it inside the room's microwave, she couldn't help but wonder who those two new people were. Her onee had not said anything about bringing two people back with her. Sakura had been told that she would be getting a new friend but she didn't know anything about two. Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed the required buttons just as her onee had taught her and watched halfheartedly as the metal box lit up and the glass plate start turning on the inside.

Perhaps this boy was the new friend her sister had been talking about? She thought that was the most probable answer seeing as the pretty red haired girl looked a bit too old to be her friend. But she was really worried about was if the young boy was okay. He sure didn't look it. Even the pink haired girl wasn't that skinny when her onee had found her.

Just as she was about to open the microwave door after the five beeps that signaled the food was finished, she heard a muffled shout and crash coming from the bathroom, followed by a pained "Don't attack him Mei, he's just scared!" and a few grumbles.

Sakura was a bit alarmed after she heard that but did not go and check to see what was going on, confident that both girls could take care of it. So instead, she did as told and put the food on the table as well as a plate from the cupboard. After the little pink haired sapling had done that, she got ready on her real task; which cold drink the little boy would like to drink. The room was provided with a stocked mini fridge filled with many different types and many different flavors.

Sakura knew that it was vital that she chose a good one, as the drink was just as important as the food.

She contemplated on the cola but she thought that maybe it was a bit too bold for the young boy. Maybe the Ponta? But it could be too sweet for the young boy and he didn't seem like the type to like particularly sweet things. And water was too boring. Sparkling water was just plain disgusting. After many minuets of thinking, she settled on the crème soda. Not too sweet but not bland either.

She chose just in time too because just as she put the drink on the table and settled herself back on the bed to continue her drawing, the bathroom door burst open revealing her older sister carrying the little boy wrapped in a towel. He looked marginally better and didn't look as scared as before so Sakura gathered that he felt much better. She too felt much better after a bath.

She watched in silence as the white haired girl went to her pack and bent down to pick it up and open it. She could only work with one hand though because of the fact that the little boy was clutching onto her with a death grip. Sakura watched as she pulled out one of her numerous black shirts and a pair of sleeping shorts and placed them on the bed. Then she flung the pack on the floor and sat down on the bed, shifting Kimimaro to her lap.

The little boy didn't do anything as the yellow eyed girl dressed him up in the clothes which were much too big for him, and instead contented himself with trying to play with her hands as she worked. Sakura thought that this boy was weird, and she preferred Gaara-kun over him.

"Kimimaro-kun, it's time to eat," Luna asked, standing up. "You must be very hungry, aren't you?"

The white haired boy immediately panicked and latched himself onto the older girl's leg. Little Sakura even felt bad to him. With the look he was sporting, one would think that the other girl was saying she never wanted to see him again.

"Is he talking yet?" A voice asked, and Sakura turned to see it was the red head. But to her surprise, the teen was wearing a bandage on her arm and there was a patch of blood on it. The emerald eyed girl supposed that it was from whatever had happened in the bathroom earlier.

"No. Little Kimimaro isn't talking to anyone else yet. Ah! By the way! Sakura, this is Kimimaro. He will be staying with us from now onwards. I want you to treat him like your brother because we are family now. And she," Luna said this while pointing to the red haired girl "is Mei, my own cousin."

"Oh! Look at how cute she is! Little Sakura-chan! And her hair!" Sakura giggled as the older girl came closer and hugged her, their cheeks rubbing together.

"Call me Mei-chan, alright Saku-chan?" The green eyed girl exclaimed happily. "Oh, you are just too cute! I think I'm going to keep you all to myself!" Sakura just giggled even more and let the older girl hug and pet her as much as she wanted.

Luna just laughed while she fed Kimimaro his meal. The boy didn't even want to let go of her to eat! But really, Luna didn't have the heart to make him stop.

* * *

><p>Itachi had been at this training camp for about three weeks now and, of course, everyone had been amazed by his skill. To think, an eleven year old was better than most jonin! And because of that, he didn't make any friends. Not that he was there to make friends, he was there to train and it didn't really matter to him if they liked him or not, nor did it matter to him if they liked him either. Really he was just there to train and qualify for ANBU, and he was doing a damn good job too.<p>

Not a day went by when at least one of his instructors didn't praise him. Itachi, being the polite young man he was, just replied with a soft "thank you" and carried on his exercise. Of course, almost everyone resented him for that. When they were struggling with their assigned exercises, the Uchiha was just flying through them like it was the easiest thing in the world. Obviously it wasn't, because ANBU training was never easy, even for a young Tensai like him, but it didn't mean that he would show that he was having problems with it. He was a blank mask the whole time. There was hardly any need for him to go through the emotions training either, as already he could mask them easily. Some people even feared him for this, saying that it wasn't normal for such a young boy to be like him. The weasel's namesake ignored them naturally but it didn't mean he couldn't hear them.

Though this got him wondering, did it mean that he wasn't normal? He didn't particularly think so. He just thought he was better than most kids his age. The number one shinobi rule was to never show your emotions, and he was just following that to a tee. Even his father told him so. But anyway, he didn't really care. They had developed a routine in the camp.

Sleep for two hours. Train the whole day. Eat. Sleep for two hours. Repeat.

It was simple and easy. Though he was a bit tired, it was nothing compared to everyone else, who looked like zombies. The young boy had taken to meditating to replenish his energy, as it worked better than sleeping. He had a goal. And that goal was to serve Konoha to the best of his abilities.

He had been thinking about that man and what he had discovered in the Naka shrine. After many days of contemplation, he had finally decided that he would serve Konoha. But the problem was, what the white haired girl had told him had got him thinking. What did she want exactly? Was she an enemy to the village? Or was she an ally? He couldn't really decide on that. He was interested in what she had to say to him and what exactly she wanted. It was a difficult thing, at such a young age having to think about where your loyalties lied but such was the life of Uchiha Itachi.

Anyway, he had five months of this camp to go, and that was plenty of time to decide.

* * *

><p>"Orochimaru-sama," a voice from the shadows called out.<p>

There, hidden deep underground in the country of Sound lay the hideout of the feared snake Sannin. Most would ask why he would even need a hideout seeing as he was the self-proclaimed "Otokage", but Orochimaru was never one to be reckless. He knew that many wanted his head and he wasn't about to make it easy for them to get it. He had built the fortress for that reason exactly. And if push came to shove, he would abandon it without a second thought.

"What is it Kabuto?" His raspy voice resounded in the dark room with an echo which made it sound ten times creepier than normal.

The silver haired boy had to force down the shudder that threatened to emerge. He still wasn't too sure about his decision to join this man, but so far it had seemed like the right choice. All these medical techniques the man had developed were amazing! Sure the body pieces were a tad bit disturbing but you couldn't experiment without samples, could you?

"We have received word that the last survivor of the Kaguya clan could not be found and has disappeared," Kabuto said. "The last known piece of evidence we could find was a dried patch of blood that had a few old bone shards in it. What do we do now?"

He watched in silence as the older man carried on dissecting the body as if he hadn't heard a word the man had said, and the younger man pushed up his glasses to pass the time. After a few minutes Orochimaru straightened up and licked his bloodied fingers absentmindedly.

"Hmm…That is quite unfortunate, isn't it Kabuto?" He asked calmly. Kabuto didn't really know how to respond so he just settled with a "Quite unfortunate sir."

"Oh well, I suppose it could not be helped," he said, as if what had happened was no big deal. "The Mist shinobi have probably already disposed of him. Such a shame really. It really was such a…unique kekkei genkei. Well, no use crying over spilt milk. Have you read over those scrolls I gave you?"

Somehow though, the black eyed boy knew that it was. Orochimaru was so excited when he had heard that the whole clan had been massacred save for its not-so-secret weapon. The plan was to mold the kid to his liking and then take over his body using the Soul Transfer technique. Orochimaru was most probably fuming on the inside, and Kabuto pitied the shinobi who had been assigned to find the boy. It really wasn't their fault that the boy had been killed; they just had the bad luck to be the ones tasked with finding said boy.

"Yes Orochimaru-sama. I have also already mastered the techniques." He replied obediently.

This time he did shudder as he watched the other man smile. "I knew it was a good idea to take you on as my apprentice."

* * *

><p>"So, where are you headed after you guys leave Kiri?" Mei asked a few days later.<p>

"I'm going to try and find Deidara, "Luna replied as she brushed Kimimaro's long white hair. The young boy still refused to talk to anyone other than the snowy haired girl, and Mei had just given up trying to get him to communicate with him. Sakura, on the other hand, did not. She would constantly talk to the older boy and, if she was lucky, he would occasionally reply with a shake of his head or a nod. Sometimes (but rarely and very faint) he would smile when she gave him a picture that she drew.

"Deidara?" Mei asked she brushed Sakura's hair. "As in: the Tsuchikage's apprentice? Didn't he just bomb the whole village and go rogue not even a year ago? What are you doing looking for a missing-nin?" The two young children had just taken a warm bath and were still drying off. Both were playing some hand tapping game and it seemed that the pink haired girl was winning.

"And may I ask how you even know that he is the Tsuchikage's apprentice?" The yellow eyed girl asked now putting the red ornaments in the Kaguya's hair. "It's a secret."

"I was sent on an infiltration mission the other day." Was all the red haired girl said in reply.

"Ah. Deidara is my best friend, if you must know.," she explained, putting the other red bead in the boy's white hair. "We met when I was four with my father, and we would often visit each other. I have not seen him since my father passed, but we did continue writing to each other. But since he went missing, I've not heard from him since. I am curious as to what he is up to."

"I see. How is your brother by the way?" She asked nonchalantly, putting Sakura's hair up in a ponytail. Luna paused in the middle of plaiting Kimimaro's long hair and regarded the older girl with a critical eye for a moment.

"Do not tell me you still fancy Kenji?" She asked a bit surprised. The older girl had had a crush on her brother for as long as the yellow eyed girl could remember, and honestly, she had thought that Mei had finally gotten over it.

"Don't enter big people's business!" Mei defended, blushing a bright red. "You're just ten years old! You wouldn't understand the concept of love!"

Luna laughed at her. "Though I do suppose it would cause good relations if the future Mizukage would marry him…" Luna trailed off at the end, letting the sentence hang.

"Ugh!" The green eyed teen exclaimed, bright red. Luna laughed loudly at her expense and finished braiding the white haired boy's hair. It reached his shoulder blades she noticed, and she smiled at her handiwork.

"But on a serious note. Are you planning on hunting down a missing-nin with these two on your back?" Mei asked with a raised eyebrow. Luna had indeed thought of that problem and had already come to a fine answer.

"Of course not!" The white eyed girl stated confidently. "I can't take them with me! It's much too dangerous! And that is where you, my dear cousin, come in."

She watched as the red head looked at her for a while, realization slowly coming into her eyes. "No. I refuse. Are you trying to get me killed?" The normally jovial teen exclaimed.

"It won't even take more than a week!" Luna protested.

"You want me, a Mist shinobi, to infiltrate Konoha and drop off these two munchkins?" The Terume exclaimed loudly. "Are you crazy? If I'm caught, we'll all be killed! No questions asked! You should know that Konoha and Kiri aren't even on speaking terms at the moment! And if by some chance I'm not caught, Kiri will become suspicious after a few days!" She was right though, it was a very risky thing and most probably stupid thing to do, but really, it was the only option. Plus if Mei actually listened, then nothing would go wrong.

"Mei-chan…" Luna sang softly. She saw that then, the older girl couldn't resist her. Sometimes it did have its perks to be young.

"Ugh, I hate it when you call me that, Luna," she said. "Okay, so what exactly is your plan anyway?"

"You said yourself that you have just taken your mandatory leave and won't have any missions for the next two weeks," She instructed precisely. "So really, with your huge chakra supply, all you have to do is leave a believable bunshin behind. And getting into Konoha will be easy. On the south wall, behind three big Kaoi bushes, there is a hole that no one knows about. Once you enter that hole, you're inside the village walls. From then on, you just head straight through the forest and you will eventually emerge behind a big building. The fourth floor window is our apartment."

"Why are you telling me about the breach in the Leaf's defense?" The red haired girl pointed out. "I could report this, you know."

"You could, couldn't you?" Luna asked simply. She could, but the white haired girl knew she wouldn't.

"Whatever, fine," Mei grumbled. "I'll do it. But I better get a free ticket to see Kenji for this."

"Alright, it's only fair, I suppose," Luna said. "I'll send it to you when I get back." The two girls had created this thing called "Kenji tickets" because of all the times the red haired had pounced on Luna's brother, much to the boy's irritation. Finally, after many complaints, they had come to an agreement that if Mei was good or did something for them, she would get a "Kenji ticket" enabling her to hang out with Kenji for a whole day. Something that was never possible before.

"So when are you leaving?" Mei asked, watching with amusement as Sakura pouted from finally losing a game.

"Tomorrow morning," Luna sighed. "I'll try to get back as soon as possible but finding a missing-nin is never easy."

"I see," The red head advised. "Then you better leave before these two wake up."

"That was my plan all along."

* * *

><p><em><strong>OKEH THEN! Hi... <strong>_

_**Three reviews! Yay! But sadly they have no accounts so I'll just reply here.**_

_**To Guest 1: Yes, Luna is an OC. But not a self-insert. Luna is an that I created to suit my purposes in my stories. She can also be used in any fandom is is currently Ryoma's love interest in my up-coming story "Silver". She has white hair and bright yellow eyes. In my stories I don't always give her the same personality and as I said, I mold her to suit my needs. YES, this is a Sakura-Centric story but considering the fact that our little pink haired friend is only five and a half, we can't really focus on her that much. In the next arc, Luna will not be shown much, as it is when Sakura-chan is a genin and has joined team 7. **_

_**To Guest 2: No, Luna will not forget about Sakura now that she has met Gaara(or Kimimaro) so don't worry:)**_

_**To Guest 3: I'm going to hope against hope (and try my best) that Luna doesn't turn out to be a Mary sue...Thanks for liking the story! **_

_**Nothing else to write other than this arc is almost finished(Chapter eight is the end) and then we'll be moving on to the much awaited Genin period. **_

_**If you have any questions just PM me and I'll answer!**_

_**Don't forget to review! **_

_**Bluetopianprincess^.^**_

_**(And how could I forget my awesome Beta operaghost11235! She's just too good to me!)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**ATTENTION! THIS IS THE SECOND UP DATE IN ONE DAY! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIFTH CHAPTER GO BACK AND READ IT! **_

_**Review...Review...Review...\( ^o^)/**_

* * *

><p>Little Kimimaro was pretty confused when he woke up and found that Lu-chan was already gone. Because of this unexpected turn of events, he wasn't too sure what to do. He was the first to wake up out of Mei-san and Sakura-san because of a nightmare (he normally slept hugging Lu-chan so he rarely got those anymore), and he couldn't fall back asleep. Looking at the light through the curtains, he saw it couldn't have been past five in the morning. Well he supposed that was the reason he couldn't sleep. It was time for his body clock to wake up. Back when he was still with the clan, he was never allowed to sleep past half-past five.<p>

The sound of the shower turning off drew his attention towards the bathroom, and a few minuets later, he saw Lu-chan appear in her full shinobi outfit. The long sleeved plain black shirt, the long black leggings which were tucked into her white low calve shinobi sandals and her trusty black gloves with the empty white circle on the top. She didn't notice that he was awake and instead continued drying her long white hair with the big fluffy towel and heading towards her backpack. He watched in silence as she extracted her kunai pouch and shuriken holster, clipping the latter around her waist.

Kimimaro wasn't stupid, far from it actually. Years of living in a cage in silence taught him to wait and watch all the events around him in order to draw the right conclusion. And he knew what she was doing. She was leaving. He didn't know why, nor did he really care, as long as she would take him with her. She was his light in his dreary dark world, and he wasn't about to let it go out. She was the only one in the whole world that he trusted, because even though he had attacked her and almost killed her once, she never once retaliated. Instead she told her cousin to calm down and understand that he was scared.

When he heard that Lu-chan was looking for him in the alley the first day, he had panicked, thinking it was another Kiri ninja sent to finish the job. So of course he was pretty shocked when she took him in her arms gently and teleported them to her inn room. Then she wasted no time in cleaning up, but he had panicked when she reached for his neck (in order to scrub the back of it) and she was stabbed the stomach and he flung her across the room, making the yellow eyed girl hit the wall hard and down in pain. Mei-san was seconds away from retaliating, but Luna quickly stopped the older girl. Luckily, Mei listened and had healed her wounds. It wasn't perfect, and they still needed to wrap a bandage around her middle. Kimimaro immediately felt bad for attacking and had looked even more dejected than before. Mei-san had completely ignored him, but Lu-chan had noticed and had calmly asked what was wrong whilst rinsing his hair, which had turned a dark gray from all days he had been sleeping in the dirt. The boy hadn't replied immediately, hesitant to do so but after a few beats of silence, he timidly inched forward and whispered an apology in her ear. He was pretty sure it was the first time he had ever used his voice (as a baby, he had to learn the hard way to keep quiet) so it was a tad bit hoarse and crackly, but at least it got the point across. The white haired girl had just smiled at him and said there was no need to apologize.

After that, he had taken one look at her and burst out sobbing softly, and he had latched himself onto her, refusing to let go for any reason. NO ONE had ever been so kind to him. Never in his life had anyone even smiled at him either. The poor boy had been kept in a small cage and only let out to go fight. If he misbehaved, then he was beat half to death and left alone. Luckily for him, he had fast regenerative abilities and it was never critical. He had never met his mother because she was killed during child birth, and this was also one reason why his father hated him. And his "baths" were just a bucket of cold water dumped over him to "get the smell out" as they said.

So really, the poor boy didn't have the easiest life in the world.

Being treated with such compassion and kindness was a new thing to him, and he was just so overwhelmed with emotion that his only reaction was to cry.

Luna had calmed him down gently and wrapped a towel around him (those things were very soft) and taken him to the bedroom. Once there, he vaguely took notice of the little pink haired girl sitting on the bed with a bunch of colorful sticks and an equally colorful piece of paper watching them, but he didn't really pay attention to her. Lu-chan had set him on the bed, much to his unhappiness, and she had dressed him up. While she did that, he noticed how her hands looked like and he tried numerous times to catch them with his own so he could examine them properly, but she constantly evaded him.

Mei-san came in after this and asked if he was talking yet and Lu-chan had answered no. Then she had introduced him to Sakura-san and told the young girl that they were like family now, and he needed to be treated as such. He was quite taken aback after that statement because he hadn't really expected it. The little boy had heard of the concept of "family" before, but he had never even dreamed that he could be part of one. After this, because he still didn't want to let go, Lu-chan had fed him delicious food (apparently it was called rice and curry) and he got to drink a very…weird tasting drink. Perhaps it was what they called "sweet" but he liked it a lot, and was allowed to have as many as he wanted, so he was pretty content. Sakura-san sometimes asked him questions, and he would reply with a nod or shake of his head. When he was lucky, she would give him one of her colorful papers and he would be so happy that he would smile. Mei-san as well was also kind to him and often brought him lots of food. He gathered that she had forgiven him.

But the person who was kindest to him was Lu-chan and for that, he would never leave her, and couldn't possibly beat the thought of she leaving him.

And that was why, he immediately stumbled off the bed when he saw her pick up her backpack and latched onto her leg like a leech, surprising the older girl and almost making her fall down.

"Maro-kun? What are you doing up so early in the morning?" Luna told him gently trying (and failing) to get him of her leg. "It's not even sunrise yet! Go back to sleep and get some rest."

"You are leaving," he stated. Luna ignored the declaration entirely, instead shocked that he had even said it out loud.

"Why are you leaving?" He asked confused. Luna didn't know what to say to him. The way he looked at her was heartbreaking!

"Kimimaro-kun, I need to go and find my friend," she told him gently. "I shall be back in a month at most. It is not a matter to concern yourself with. Mei-chan will be escorting you and Sakura back to Konoha later today."

A month! A month was a pretty long time, actually!

"Well then take me with you! I can be of use!" He pleaded desperately. He couldn't imagine a whole month without Lu-chan! Even if he had known the older girl for less than two weeks, he had become attached. Maybe "attached" was too weak of a word. More like devoted to her.

"Kimimaro, I can't," Luna declared firmly, and gently extracted the younger green eyed six year old from her leg. "You and Sakura need to take care of each other while I'm gone. I shall be back before you even notice I'm gone! Now let me go, little one, I must make haste if I want to leave the gates before the sentries change shifts. They are tired now, therefore inattentive and slow."

Kimimaro looked ready to cry, but he was visibly restraining himself.

"But I need you to do something for me while I'm gone," she said, crouching down in front of him and taking his in her hands, looking him straight in the eyes. He nodded shakily. He felt marginally better that he could at least do something to help her.

"I need you to take extra care of Sakura," Luna instructed. "You are very strong Maro-kun, and she is not. She is but a sapling, not even in bloom and therefore, very fragile. But she in turn will take care of you in her own way. That is how family works." The Kaguya nodded in agreement. He would protect Sakura-san with his life, if it meant he could help Lu-chan.

"Good. I shall leave now. Take care and listen to Mei." Luna then stood up and headed towards the window.

With one last smile in the snow haired boy's direction, she was gone, and the window closed behind her.

* * *

><p>It had been exactly two weeks since then. Mei had woken up and they had set off towards Konoha at their fastest speed. Sakura had to be placed on the older girl's back or else she would not be able to keep up, as she couldn't even tree run. The red haired girl was pretty shocked when Kimimaro declined getting onto her back and instead ran at the same as she did. Sakura could not stop gushing about how cool "Kimi-kun" was and she had watched in amazement as he too flew through the trees. Eventually, after about four days, they made it to the village walls and entered through the hole. Mei had quickly made sure they were settled into the apartment before leaving. She couldn't stay for long and had to head back immediately to avoid being found out by Konoha. Or worse, her own village.<p>

Sakura had immediately taken Kimimaro on a tour of Konoha. The little boy was dragged to and fro by the little girl and they were given many presents and lots of street food by vendors who had been captured by their innocent cuteness. The white haired boy had never seen a village as big and bright like Konoha! Plus it had so many trees! That was the reason it had taken them so long to find it. The whole village was completely covered by trees. You couldn't even find the giant village walls easily. And it was just as bad on the inside, you wouldn't pass by a street without at least seeing two of the giant plants.

They had lots of fun the first week and to Sakura's immense joy, Kimimaro had even whispered a few words to her. The little boy didn't talk much but she didn't really mind. That was all part of the package called "Kimimaro".

But eventually, Sakura remembered her dream and her promise to her onee-chan, prompting them to spend most of their time training. At first she was amazed at Kimimaro's fighting prowess when he shadow spared, but really got to her was the fact that he could make his bones come out of his skin and act as weapons! At first, she couldn't stop staring at the spot on his arm where the long white bone had come out, and Kimimaro had become very uncomfortable with her staring. Eventually, he had just given her a long rod and she had examined it the whole day and constantly poked and prodded at him at random intervals. The white haired boy's kekkei genkei was called…the Shin-something. The little girl couldn't really remember it at the moment, but it was pretty cool.

She had practiced her Suna style taijutsu and was getting better at it. Kimimaro had offered to spar with her and she had accepted gladly. Obviously, she was nothing compared to him as he was about tokubetsu jonin level, but it still helped. He pointed out the faults in her defense and helped her adjust them accordingly. She also practiced the chakra exercises her sister had given her and had asked Kimi-kun to help her adjust her weights every three days. He had also taught her how to climb trees and walk on water. She had once asked him where he had learned all of those things but he had remained silent and changed the subject. At home, they survived on Umeboshi onigiri and the occasional sandwich because it was the easiest thing to make. They would shake it up sometimes and make plum sandwiches and fill the onigiri with jam or sandwich meat. It tasted very nice. One time, the two of them had tried to make pancakes, but it hadn't really worked out that well, and they turned out to be half burned globs of pancake batter. They also overdosed on ice cream, as Sakura had left a brand new jumbo tub of vanilla before they had left and Kimimaro had taken quite the liking to it. They stayed up late and watched lots if TV and woke up late. The white haired boy had experienced many new things during that time, like many more flavors of what Sakura called "cold drinks", and he also once tasted a chocolate glazed doughnut.

Needless to say, he was very happy that day.

During those two weeks, they became very close too, and Kimimaro had taken to calling her "Saku-chan" instead of "Sakura-san" like he used to. They did once go to the playground, but the two didn't like it, stating it was too noisy and the other kids were stupid. Though, it was understandable when you thought about how mature they were for their age. They often also went to the library, and the librarian would look at them in shock when she saw the two reading chunin level tomes the whole day. Occasionally they would both fall asleep and she would place a blanket on them. The library was open twenty-four hours because of the occasional shinobi or civilian scholars who would stay all night to study.

Kimimaro still had abandonment problems; he wouldn't let Sakura out of his sight for more than five minutes, and his contact problem was still there. He would either always be playing with the little girl's hair or her hand, much to her amusement, and whenever she laughed, he would just give her the most clueless look in the world, not getting the joke. The little girl had also once asked him about the markings on his face. Why the red marks under his eyes were steadily getting darker each day and why he had one red dot on the left side of his forehead. He had explained to her that it was the signature of his clan and would continue to develop for a while. It didn't escape her that he had avoided going into detail about it, but eventually let it drop.

Two months passed by quickly and they often wondered where Lu-chan/Onee-chan was but they tried not to voice their thoughts often.

Today, they were once again in their hidden training grounds practicing. They had been there since sunrise and hadn't even notice time pass by. Now they were taking a break, just laying down in the middle of the grassy clearing.

"It's almost winter Kimi-kun," Sakura said to him softly. "Do you like winter?"

Not really. He absolutely hated that season. When he was still with his clan, it was spent in that cage, freezing and shivering in that dreary underground cell with only a flimsy fleece blanket to sustain him. He had learnt to circulate chakra throughout his body to keep him relatively warm but it didn't help much.

But all he replied with was a soft halfhearted grunt.

"I don't really," The pink haired girl told him, watching a cloud that looked like a bunny hop by. "It's way too cold and that mean man never bothered to really buy me any warm clothes. I always wondered what the other kids found so fun about it. I would always watch outside the window as the made shapes and snowmen and threw clumps at each other."

Kimimaro remained silent as she expected him to, and she too lapsed into silence. And that was how the two spent the next hour, just laying there under the sun.

"Oh, I'm sorry," a lazy voice said. "I wasn't aware there was someone else here! I'll just go cloud gaze somewhere else then."

Both Sakura and Kimimaro turned their head to see a pineapple haired boy turning to walk away.

"No! Wait!" Sakura exclaimed after him. "Come lay with us! That's what we're doing!"

The brown eyed boy paused and regarded them for a while, before finally deciding and moving towards them in order to lay in the middle.

"I didn't think other kids liked to cloud gaze," he said after a while.

"We didn't think so too," Sakura replied, turning to look at him. "The other kids are too noisy and stupid."

"I know," the young genius agreed. "They're just so troublesome. It's much better to be quiet sometimes."

Kimimaro was a little less weary of this stranger and relaxed a bit. He didn't seem all that bad.

"Exactly. What's your name?" Sakura asked him.

"I'm Nara Shikamaru." He replied turning to her as well. She smiled at him and introduced herself as well.

"My name is Haruno Sakura and he's Kaguya Kimimaro-kun," she informed. "He doesn't talk much, so don't mind him. But he's really nice! I'm six and he's seven." Her birthday had passed the previous week, as did Kimimaro's, and they had celebrated by eating lots of ice cream.

"Ah. I'm seven too," he said, turning back to the sky. "I can see some indentation marks on that tree over there. Were you training?" He noticed it along with their dirty bodies as soon as he had entered the clearing. He was a tad bit peeved that someone else had discovered his secret hideout after half a year of not coming, but he supposed they weren't so bad. It could have been worse.

"Er…yeah, actually," she said. "But please don't tell anyone, it's supposed to be a secret until we enter the academy next year. You're in the academy aren't you?"

The Nara nodded in reply and the little girl accepted his reply in silence.

They spent the whole day like that, just talking a bit, and Shikamaru would occasionally ask Kimimaro some yes or no questions to which he would reply with a motion of his white clad head. At first, Shikamaru told them that he thought they were siblings, and Sakura replied that they were, and the white haired boy had smiled after she said that. Eventually, the clouds turned into stars and they eventually parted ways. Sakura told him that they were there every day if he ever wanted to come back. He didn't reply and just promised her that he wouldn't tell anyone that they trained there.

"I already knew that silly!" Sakura had told him, giggling and he too smiled.

* * *

><p>"I've finally found you, it seems," a girl's voice said into the cave.<p>

"Well look who it is! It's Shiro-chan, yeah!" A jovial voice exclaimed. Ah, Deidara...The sun in her world…the apple of her eye…The moon to her ocean...

The bane of her existence.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that Wiggle-kun!" She exclaimed, closing back up the cave with a few hand seals.

"Not until you stop calling me that, yeah," he pointed out. Luna just rolled her eyes and walked deeper into the surprisingly well lit hideout. It looked like a house all on its own too, with the lounge being the first room from the entrance.

"Never," she declared and plopped down next to the clay molding blond.

"Tch. I had to try, yeah. And to what do I owe you pleasantly surprising but unexpected visit exactly?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her. That's when the white haired girl remembered all she had gone through and her anger returned full force.

"Two months!" She exclaimed, thumping him over the head. "That is how long it took me to find your idiotic behind! What the bloody hell were you thinking, going rogue like that?!"

The blond haired twelve year old winced and rubbed his aching head pitifully. "I got bored, yeah! Old man Onoki was getting on my nerves with his 'Don't do this!' and 'Don't do that!'. I couldn't even perform my art without getting nagged!" The blue eyed boy threw his head back in despair from just thinking about it. The white haired girl rolled her sunshine yellow eyes and asked herself why this boy was her best friend not for the first time.

"So that gave you enough reason to bomb the Kage tower and the whole village?" She asked him mockingly.

"Yes it did!" He defended. "Everyone must see my beautiful art, yeah! I shouldn't be hidden away from the world."

Luna just sighed heavily and lay her head on his shoulder, watching him mold the wet clay into whatever it was that he was making. "I was quite sure that you were going to be the next Tsuchikage."

He snorted derisively and looked at her like she was crazy. "Do you honestly think I'm the type to sit in an office all day to do paperwork? It's like you don't know me at all, yeah!" He cried, feigning hurt. The white haired girl laughed at his antics but otherwise said nothing.

"Why did you not come to visit me again?" She asked after a while. Deidara just sighed and wet the clay a bit more with the water in the bowl next to him then shifted a bit.

"Being a new missing-nin is hard, Shiro-chan…" he told her, smiling a bit. "I haven't left this cave for weeks because a hunter-nin got my leg real bad, yeah."

Luna looked at him aghast and finally noticed the bandage around his right leg. Luckily, he had just changed it before she had arrived, so the white haired girl was saved from the gruesome sight of the bloodied and occasionally yellow patches.

"So why did not go to my brother then?" She asked him, confused. Deidara just shook his head, making his long yellow hair land on her face which was still on his shoulder. She was too lazy remove it.

"If I did, would you come with me?" He asked. Leave it to him to bring up his favorite topic at the worst possible time.

"Deidara…" Yes, the blond had had a crush on her for as long as she could remember and he still hadn't given up. Sometimes she found it quite sweet. Other times she just found it annoying.

"Hai, hai…I know your answer, yeah. So what have you been up to?" He asked her, changing the subject.

"Me? Well," she elaborated. "I've temporarily moved to Konoha. Taken in two kids and one of them is my new weapon. I've also just convinced the Kazekage to sign an alliance with us and have become close friends with his son."

Deidara immediately became angry after he heard what she said. "And do you like his son?" He bit out, obviously jealous. Luna smirked in amusement at him and instead fanned the flames.

"Oh, yes. I quite fancy his son," she exclaimed, pretending to be starstruck. "He really is just so cute!"

"I see," Deidara growled out, pressing the clay harder than necessary.

"Yes, his five year old son is just too cute!" She exclaimed then burst out laughing as realization dawned onto him. He shoved her, not really angry, but mostly embarrassed.

"Don't do that, yeah!" He cried out, cheeks red.

"Oh Deidara, you know you are the only boy for me!" She said and winked at him playfully. The blond smiled, his ego boosted.

"Well anyway, it seems like you've been busy, yeah," he said, curiously. "How long are you going to stay?"

Luna thought about it for a while then she turned to him with a smile. "I shall stay for a week. But only because you are injured and I am a very kind person," she said cheekily.

"Still using your formal I see, yeah. You sound like some noble," he mocked her, causing the other girl to pout childishly. "'I shall stay for a week.' Ugh..."

She really had missed him. He was the only one in the world who could get her to act so childish in the first place.

* * *

><p><strong><em>What's this?! Two Updates in one day?! Oh my, she really is spoiling us!<em>**

**_Hey~ Sup...Back again(I expect many reviews for this!)_**

**_Anyway, this is a fluff chapter! Fluffiness galore!_**

**_Lol, yeah. Anyway, next chapter is the last before we start the Genin arc so yay! _**

**_But as I keep on saying, my chapters would be nothing without my AWEEEEESOME BETA! _**

**_REVIEW! _**

**_Bluetopianprincess^.^_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**REVIEW...REVIEW...REVIEWWWWWW...\( ^O^)/**_

* * *

><p>Sakura wasn't really a curious person by nature. So on her first day of the academy, she didn't actually pay attention to the giant hoard of girls fighting over something. Instead, she just passed them all and looked next to the closest seat, which just happened to be next to a brooding black haired boy who looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place his face.<p>

"Mind if I take this seat?" The young girl asked timidly.

The boy didn't even spare her a glance, only grunting so she took that as a yes. Sitting down, she looked around what would be her new classroom for the next two years and marveled at all the maps on the wall and the only slightly complicated mock battle plan that had been drawn on the board. It seemed this wouldn't be a waste of her time after all.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" A voice screeched in front of her, and she tore her jade eyes away from the board to look in the direction the voice was going on.

Surprisingly, the blond who had spoken was pointing at her. Sakura could only wonder what she had done. This was the problem with only having social interaction with less than five people her whole life. Two of them preferring to not talk at all unless necessary.

"Me?" She asked confused. The blond haired girl rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and put one hand on her hip, impatient.

"Yes, you," she said, now walking forward. "What do you think you are doing sitting next to Sasuke-kun?" The pink haired noticed from the corner of her eye that said black haired boy seemed to flinch and the dark cloud that was around him become darker.

"Well, Sasuke-san said yes?" She said it more like a question than an answer, but in her defense, she was nervous. She hadn't been treated with such hostility since she was a young child when they used to bully and tease her. She had forgotten what it was like.

"'Sasuke-san said yes,'" the blond mocked in a high voice. "Well listen here, no one is allowed to sit next to him except for me. And certainly not someone with like you with a billboard for a forehead." A bunch of protests rang out the room after her declaration but Sakura didn't hear them. She was still reeling from the insult. No one was allowed to insult her forehead! No more!

"Excuse me?" She asked angrily. The blue eyed girl smirked, thinking she had won.

"You heard me," she snarled, her nostrils flaring.

"Okay. Well let me tell you something. I didn't see your name on this seat or anything indicating that it's yours so I'm gonna sit here if I want to! And no one, and I mean no one, is allowed to insult my forehead. And certainly not a pig like you." The way she said the word "pig" made it seem like the worst possible insult in existence, making the class break into fierce whispers.

"W-w-what?!" The girl shrieked indignantly.

"You heard me," Sakura mocked smirking in triumph.

"I think everyone heard you," a lazy but familiar voice said and the person proceeding to sit in the last available seat in the row, on her left.

"Shikamaru! Don't sit next t-to that freak!" The now red blond shouted angrily.

The Nara just rolled his eyes and propped his head sluggishly in his open palm. "Ino, calm down," he dragged on, rolling his brown eyes. "Just go and sit somewhere else. You're being troublesome."

"Yes Ino, go sit somewhere else," a male voice said sternly, drawing everyone's attention to the front of the class. It seemed their sensei had arrived, and not a moment too soon.

Ino huffed and stomped her foot angrily, before stomping up the stairs and sitting in the back.

"…Now that that's over. Let me begin by saying that we have a new student, who I'm sure you've already 'met'. Haruno Sakura, please raise your hand-thank you. Yes, she is starting four years late but I assure you that she passed all the tests with flying colors so please welcome her warmly as one of your own. My name is Tomochi-sensei so if you need something just ask." He explained, smiling when the pink haired girl nodded. "Good. Now today, as you can see, we will be working on strategy. I hope you all remember what I told you all yesterday, Sakura, you weren't here so you can relax and not participate, but if you think you can, please don't hesitate to join in." He told her. Then he proceeded to rummage through some things on his desk and pull out an extendable rod.

"Can anyone tell me the situation that is playing out?" He asked, pointing at the black board.

A few students raised their hands but the teacher ignored them all, his grey eyes roaming around for a helpless unsuspecting student.

"Shino. You look like you are just dying to answer. Care to share your enthusiasm?" He asked sounding amused. Actually, Sakura noticed, her eyes going in the direction the teacher was pointing, the hooded boy just looked like he was dying. Period. He was a bit creepy in her opinion. But the she noticed everyone else in class and decided that there was no such thing as normal in this room anyway. Her simple black tights and red t-shirt actually made her look like a freak!

"It seems that enemies-Iwa" the spectacle wearing boy corrected, seeing the color of the symbols "are trying to infiltrate Fire country, but have met resistance from the ANBU. Why? Because ANBU are stationed at the border. The ANBU are being pushed back by the Iwa nin. Why? Because they are being overwhelmed by the number of unexpected enemies. The messenger tower has been destroyed and they cannot call for back up. ANBU are getting tired and running out of chakra and weapons. The question; what is the best course of action?" He asked reading the question at the side of the battle.

"Good. It seems you understand the scenario perfectly. This is actually something that happened during the war so I thought it would be the best thing to test your minds." Tomochi explained.

"Now, what I want you to do is to think carefully about it then write what you would do if you were the commander. You have ten minutes. Sakura let me give you a notebook. I'll write your name on the top. Don't lose it since it's the only one you'll be getting until it runs out." The brown haired man said to her, pulling out a blue notebook from his desk and writing her name with a sharpie.

"Here." He said, tossing it to her. She was only slightly amazed that it landed perfectly in front of her, first page open. But she was in the third row from the bottom so it would only be too easy for a professional shinobi to be able to do that.

Minutes passed by the students working in silence, pens and pencils hitting their papers at a fast pace. Sakura too was completely engrossed in her writing that she didn't notice the teacher hovering over her shoulder with a very shocked look on his face.

Tomochi really wasn't expecting it though. He read her plan with wide eyes, thinking that even most chunin couldn't do it as well as she could! And she was only ten!

It seemed he had something to report to the Hokage…

* * *

><p>Alright! Taijutsu 101! Yes students, it's that day again! The day where you'll be pitted against each other until one of you is either knocked out or I call out the winner!" Sakura looked around the group to notice more than a couple of people looking nervous. And others looking wayy too excited, like that blond kid currently shadow boxing in the back.<p>

"First match;" the gruff battle-loving teacher said smirking. "Uzumaki Naruto versus the one with the perfect entrance scores."

"YEAH! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'll beat you all to a bloody pulp!" He cried out happily sprinting forward.

All eyes were on the pink haired girl now, and Sakura slowly walked forward to stand in the middle of the circle, wondering what type of a fighter this boy was.

"Aw man! But I can't hit a girl! She's too fra-"

He was interrupted by a sweeping kick, knocking him off his feet, making him fall face first.

Many people laughed at his expense and Sakura just glared at him angrily. So he was sexist, was he? Fine then, she would just teach him not to underestimate this pink haired girl.

"Haha! Serves you right, Naruto. Remember, kunoichi are also very strong. Looks can be deceiving. Now, start."

As soon as their teacher said this, the blond was on his feet, charging towards Sakura, fist cocked behind him. Sakura watched him, hands behind her back, analyzing like her sister had taught her. Sakura was exasperated to notice that this eager boy wasn't even defending himself. Sighing, she calmly sidestepped him then kicked the back of his knee, making his leg buckle immediately and once again he was on the floor, face first. The class laughed even more and the teacher stood there with a pensive look on his face, rubbing his beard.

"Interesting….Change of Plans! Naruto, you lost. Badly. Sasuke, why don't you come on up?"

Many people gasped as when he said this and they all made a wide gap for the boy to come through…

The pink haired girl was now pretty sure she had met him somewhere…She just wasn't sure where!

She watched as he entered the circle and got into a very interesting stance. …Both legs bent only slightly, one foot a few feet behind the other, with his upper body angled down and his arms in front of him, elbows slightly raised, hands in fists, with his index and middle fingers jutting out the most.

"Eh? So you're going with the Uchiha's tradition fighting style for this one eh? It seems you're not joking around for this!" The teacher declared, smirking in clear anticipation.

Sakura took this as her cue to also take this boy seriously. He really didn't look like he was joking around.

So, the best bet would be Luna's fighting style. It was fast, and difficult to defend against.

Quickly retying her hair into a bun, to make sure it wouldn't get in her face when she fought, she shocked everyone with what she did next.

She lifted up her elbows so they were only silently angled towards the ground and started jumping from foot to foot. To most, it would look crazy and stupid, with only one hole in her defense, her whole stance but she knew that it was deceiving.

"AHAHAHA! I don't know what you are planning to do little girl but it seems interesting. Begin!" He declared and the pink haired girl wasted no time, getting Sasuke with a sweeping high-kick which he ducked under, making her black clad leg sail harmlessly over his head.

No matter, it was better for her anyway. As soon as her foot hit the ground, she was on the floor, with a sweeping kick with her right leg, expectedly, he jumped over it, but she shocked them all with using both her legs like a top. They watched in shock as she pushed the Uchiha back, her hands holding her up and only lifting when her legs came round again then going back down.

Even their teacher was silent.

Seeing that this was leading nowhere, she shifted and pushed herself into a handstand, her legs now moving like a helicopter and on occasion going down and under, then up again.

Thank goodness she was wearing her gloves. She could see her hands chafing from all the rocks on the ground.

"Is she break dancing?" A shocked student asked. It must have looked like it to them and she smirked silently.

"It looks like it! That's so cool!" Another boy with a dog on his head exclaimed. Sasuke couldn't get near her unless he wanted to be subjected to her legs but her arms were getting a bit tired now. Only recently did she understand why her sister made her wear those weights and would teach her the style until she was seven

With one last sweep, she was on her legs and hitting Sasuke with a barrage of punches that were coming from the side. The black haired boy could finally retaliate now that she was upright and her legs not moving like a chopper.

Sakura had to stop to avoid a kick at her chin and she back flipped just in time, but the boy wasn't finished, and as soon as his leg was on the ground, he followed up with a round-house kick that she was sure would've knocked off her head had she not ducked backwards. She placed her arms behind her, and kicked upwards, that way, her flip would also act as a double kick.

He jumped to the side just in time and took the opportunity to launch his fist at her face when she was upright and only her reflexes allowed her to block with her forearm just in time to avoid a broken jaw.

They stared hard at each other before simultaneously jumping back, panting and back in their stances.

So far, no one had made the first hit and now the tension was high. The whole class was watching in anticipation to see who would gain the upper hand. The teacher was also keenly watching the two young fighters, an excited gleam in his eyes and his hand stroking his beard automatically.

Sasuke charged forward, his fist flying towards him, but Sakura ducked forwards, hands on the ground and her left leg up behind her about to get Sasuke in the chest. The young Uchiha was quick though, and grabbed her foot, tripping he other leg which was still on the ground. The pink haired girl acted fast and took hold of his own which was in front of her face, making both of them fall to the ground. He fell on top of her but he quickly rolled off before she could kick him off.

They wasted no time, both launching a flurry of punches and kicks at each other, but none of them making contact. Occasionally, Sasuke was thrown by a flip Sakura would perform that would break his nose if it her outstretched legs made contact and sometimes Sakura would have to quickly fall to the ground in order to avoid a very fast high kick the boy would perform.

She jumped and grabbed hold of his shoulders, doing a handstand on them, planning to fall backwards and throw him with the momentum but her shocked her by firmly grabbing hold of her hands and instead leaning forward so she would fall.

And she did fall, right into his awaiting knee. The wind was knocked right out of her, and she resisted the urge to hurl, instead coughing and almost dry heaving.

Sasuke watched with a smirk as she shakily stood up, wiping the spit from the side of her mouth with one hand and holding her stomach with the other.

"It seems Sasuke has drawn 'first blood'." The teacher declared, a wide grin on his face, revealing his surprising sharp teeth.

Indeed the Uchiha had, after almost fifteen minutes of fighting; he had finally made a hit. It had been hard but he had done it.

"Not bad Sasuke-san." Sakura said, standing straight up now, she too with a smirk on her face, but it was from excitement. She had finally found an opponent that was at her level. Unlike Kimimaro, who could beat her into the ground in two seconds flat.

"Hn." He grunted. Sasuke was thinking along the same lines, this girl, whoever she was, was actually a worthy opponent and the only other female in class who didn't fawn after him. He supposed she wasn't too bad.

"You two have two have fifteen more minutes to settle this. I'm giving you the whole period. The others, I want you to watch and see how you are all supposed to fight. In my day, weaklings like you lot weren't even allowed to try for the entrance exams." He said directing at the rest of the class…Yes, he really was a battle loving man.

The class just ignored him and carried on watching Sasuke and Sakura size each other up.

Sakura decided to just change her fighting style, and shocked everyone else by taking up Konoha's traditional fighting style. Obviously her own wasn't really working against Sasuke. She watched as the onyx eyed boy raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow before mimicking her, he too taking up the Leaf's stance. None of them had any holes in their stance, and they had the perfect form.

Sakura knew it would be hard but it wouldn't be fun if it wasn't.

The Uchiha ran forward, his fist at the ready, but Sakura caught it and twisted sideways, so that the boy would stumble. He did and while his back was turned she took the opportunity and tried to elbow his spine but he acted fast and instead twisted his body so that it would instead get his back bone. He still fell to the ground, but he recovered fast with a back sweeping kick, which she jumped over. However, she was forced to continuously flip backwards in order to avoid Sasuke's lightning kicks. As soon as there was an opening, she ducked and punched him in the stomach, making him keel over in reflex, and then the pink haired girl followed up with a kick to his side. He recovered just in time and grabbed the leg. Sakura used his hand as support and kicked with her other leg. He caught that one too and she fell to the ground on her back. Sasuke was about to get her with a drop kick to her stomach, but she caught his foot in her hand just in time. She was shocked at how heavy it was, but nothing she couldn't handle. She wore weights that weighed three times his body weight after all. He pressed harder, frowning but the green eyed girl instead jerked her legs harshly, making him fall back no that he only had one leg to support him.

Sakura quickly got up, but stumbled unexpectedly. It was only then she realized how tired she was!

According to her body clock, they had been fighting for twenty-five minutes and only had five minutes left before the ball rang to signal the end of the period and lunch.

She had to end this quickly, but with the serious look Sasuke was sporting, it wasn't going to be easy. But she could see the sweat rolling down him like it was on her and she saw that he too was tired.

The both charged at each other. Sakura launched a punch at his face which he blocked with a clear flinch on his visage, and then he grabbed hold of her forearm, pulling her forward, so he could punch her in the stomach, but she quickly twisted her body so the punch only skimmed her side. He released her, and both of their legs met in a kick and it was then Sakura noticed that Sasuke also wore weights; they were just hidden under that white leg protector. (Her own weights were actually her whole outfit. Her sister had taught her a jutsu that made her clothes heavier so that it wouldn't be hard to wear clothes.)

Sasuke hooked his leg around hers and tugged, making her fall to the floor, but she used her hands and instead flipped, forcing Sasuke to move back lest he be kicked in the face. As soon as she was up, she had to lift her hands to catch a drop kick to her shoulder. This didn't faze Sasuke, instead he back flipped away then tried to get her with a sweeping kick but she caught his leg between her feet preventing him from getting up properly. She also tried to drop kick him, but he dodged it by moving to the side, and everyone stared as a small crater formed where her heel sat.

Sasuke kicked up, making Sakura jump away and Sasuke launched a fist at her which she prepared herself to block.

"TIME!" The teacher shouted, forcing Sasuke to stop his fist mid-way. Everybody immediately protested, but Sasuke just shrugged at Sakura, who replied with a helpless smile.

'We'll finish this some other time' was the unspoken agreement.

"Sorry, but don't you all want your lunch break?" He said. "Anyway! It seems the match was a draw! And even if it had continued, I'm not even sure who would've won. Good job you two! You fought better than most Chunin. You all are free to do what you want. Class dismissed." Then he walked away, disappearing behind the doors.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, running forward with a bright smile on his face. "That was awesome! You totally kicked teme's ass!"

_'Sakura-chan?'_ Sakura thought surprised.

"It was a draw dobe," Sasuke stated, bored. "Meaning no one won."

"Nu-uh!" The blond cried, looking smug. "You just don't want to admit she won!"

"You're delusional," the black haired boy said, sticking his hands into his pockets and starting to walk, Sakura followed after him, prompting Naruto to do the same.

"He's right Naruto-san," Sakura told the grinning boy as they entered the academy halls so they could get back to class and get their lunch. "I didn't win. Actually, Sasuke got in more hits than I did. We'll just have to see the next time we fight."

"Oh you're just being modest!" He exclaimed. "You were awesome! And what was that really awesome fighting style? It looked like you were break dancing!" This drew Sasuke's attention again and he looked at her expectantly, waiting for her explanation.

"My sister taught it to me," she told them. "It is based on dance though. It's called Capoeira . There was a civilization way back even before the first Hokage's time that used to use it. It was long forgotten and only a few people know it. But don't tell anyone. I don't want people researching it and stuff."

Both nodded and they entered the class, seeing only a few people there. They quickly took their lunches and headed back outside.

"And where do you think you're going?" Sakura asked Sasuke, when she saw him walking in a completely different direction.

"I'm going to the roof," he told the two, not stopping. Sakura looked at the ground dejected; she had thought that she had made a friend.

"Oh," she sighed, and Naruto looked at her sadly.

"…You guys can come if you want," he said, smirking a bit, but they couldn't see his expression since he was walking away from them. "Just don't be too annoying."

Sakura and Naruto both grinned at each other brightly before rushing to catch up.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback;<em>

_It was dark. The clouds had covered the moon and the stars preventing her from seeing much in the trees around her. No matter, she could sense everything. Including the familiar chakra that was watching from above. And the person knew it too. After all, he didn't bother concealing it._

_"You're back, I see," she said, not stopping her katas, only slowing down a little._

_"And you're still here," he said, hopping down and walking towards her. She didn't bother turning around to face him for the girl knew he wouldn't attack her._

_"Have you come to hear me out?" She asked, the smug tone in her voice evident._

_"I have. But first, what is your name?" He asked her, his tone leaving no room for nonsense._

_"My name? Well I suppose it's only fair…My name is Luna," she answered, finally stopping her exercise and turning to face him, her long ponytail whipping around._

_"No last name?" He asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"I do not see how that is relevant," she answered him._

_He watched her with a critical eye, trying to figure out this weird female in front of him. She was much like himself, never showing her true intentions, always hiding behind a mask, albeit hers was a mask of false emotion. And she was cunning. Not a person to underestimate. Yes, she was much like himself._

_"You have learned the truth about your clan, have you not?" She asked, her yellow eyes glowing in the dark. "But it was sooner than I expected…Tell me how you did it?"_

_"It is none of your concern," he stated, staring blankly at her. "I have come to see exactly what you want."_

_She smirked and leaned forward to brush his shoulder._

_"There was a leaf," she sat down on the plush grass and patted the spot next to her invitingly. "Sit. The night is quite cool around this hour." The black haired boy scrutinized her for a moment and then did as told, crossing his legs._

_"What is it I want you ask?" She started, staring at the dark sky pensively "Well, Itachi-san, I want many, many things. But what I want with you is a…friend…. Someone to count on.… Another pair of ears… A partner. I have plans, many plans that can't afford to be interfered with."_

_"And do these plans include the destruction of Konoha?" He asked, observing her laid back form._

_"Hmm…That is a tough question," Luna said to him, turning her head in his direction, watching him think about it. "No, they do NOT include Konoha's demise, but then again, if the situation calls for it, it is possible. Itachi, may I call you that? I don't think formalities are required between us. As I was saying, you are a very smart shinobi. Very gifted as well, judging by the ANBU attire you are now sporting…But one thing I am certain. You do not like conflict. I can see it in your eyes. And now that you are being sent on all these high ranking missions, you can see that Konoha isn't as good as you thought. Perhaps it is the war that rendered you a pacifist. I haven't seen you in one year and already you look like you hold the weight of the world on your shoulders. Is that normal? A twelve year old boy having already seen more deaths than most grown men have in their life time, and you performed more than half of them."_

_He knew it wasn't right. And he knew that she was right._

_"So what exactly is it that you do want?" He asked her. She hmmed concomitantly and smiled at him._

_"I told you. I want many things," She said to him, giving him a weird smile. "It's up to you to see if you will help me get what I want. You must judge me on what I've been saying then you must make your decision. I pity you. Having to decide where to go, who to trust…"_

_"Even after all that I've learnt about this village, its dark secrets and evil doings…I cannot betray it," Itachi told her, his face grave, looking ten times older than his actual age. "Instead all I can do is make it better. But this does not mean I will not be your partner. Your eyes and ears…your friend. If your goal is as you say it is then I will stop at nothing to make it a reality. But I am only doing this because of Sasuke. So that my little brother can live in a safe world that is not filled with hate and deceit. "_

_"Thank you." Luna said softly._

_'So that he won't have to go through all that I have...' Itachi thought._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hello there darling readers of mine!<em>**

**_I hope you are all doing well! I'm really sorry for taking so long to update this but I was sick and just didn't have the energy! _**

**_I am very happy to say that while I was down and under, I got a review from Cyndal91 which just made my day! That makes six reviews!_**

**_BUT! I am very disappointed with you guys...tons of people have read this(for which I am very grateful) but only a few have reviewed...I think it is time I explained something.  
><em>**

**_Reviews are very important to the author because it helps the writer to know what he/she is doing wrong so that they can fix it! A little constructive criticism can go a very long way! And, it also gives the author motivation to put out more chapters so that they can please their readers! Remember, a happy writer equals a productive writer! _**

**_So please, spare five minutes of your time and leave one! It doesn't even have to be very long! _**

**_Before I end this note, I MUST say thank you to my awesome and caring Beta reader who sent me a message asking about my wellbeing and quickly edited this chapter as a 'get-well-soon' present! That girl is AMAAZING! And she did an awesome job, like always..._**

**_I don't know where I'd be without her..._**

**_Anyway...Once again, PLEASE leave a review! _**

**_Lots of love, _**

**_Bluetopianprincess^o^_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**REVIEW...REVIEW...REVIEW...REVIEW...\( ^ 0^)/**_

* * *

><p>"I don't know who you guys think you are, or what you are doing trying to act like ninja, but let me tell you something," the unknown silver haired jounin sensei said to them as soon as the eraser hit his flyaway hair. "<p>

You are weak. Useless. And most of all, a hazard to the village."

The three genin in the room looked at him in surprise, not really expecting the statement…or really the man who had walked in. He was quite peculiar if one of them were to give their opinion, walking with a slouch and not even dodging a blackboard eraser. If they didn't know that this person was supposed to teach them, they wouldn't even suspect he was a jounin had they walked past him.

Slowly, the man leaned against the wall, giving them all a very intense look, before finally, his lone grey eye settled on the orange clad boy in the room.

"Ah, yes. Uzumaki Naruto. The famed village pariah…So much to say about you that I don't even know where to start. Alright Mister 'I'm going to be Hokage one day', may I ask how you plan on doing that when you couldn't even maintain a D-average in the academy? Oh wait, that might be a bit too much for you. You were so bad that you warranted a whole new grade in my opinion. Maybe something like 'H'? That sounds a bit right. All you really care about is playing pranks on people. I suppose that's what comes from having such care-free, ignorant personality…" He paused, lazily scratching his arm. Sasuke and Sakura were too surprised to even say anything though, because really, they obviously didn't see the belittlement coming.

The slouching man yawned loudly, covering his mouth then pulling out an orange book which had a suspicious looking cover. If Sakura were to take a guess, she would think that it was a R-rated novel. But maybe she was just jumping to conclusions.

They stayed in silence for maybe about five minutes, the only sounds coming from the pages being turned. It was quite awkward, because none of the two genin knew what to say. Naruto, of course, wasn't about to say anything, considering his depressed and crushed state. Not so surprisingly though, the grown-up in the room, didn't look one bit as uncomfortable as the other two.

"Next victim," their new sensei stated, finally breaking the awkward silence. But still, he did not look up from his book. Slowly, almost like he had all the time in the world, he turned the page, and started.

"Uchiha Sasuke…they call you a prodigy…don't they? Everyone constantly praises you, saying that you're abilities are far above average. But really…all I see is a boy with…_issues_." The single word was enough to transmit everything that the man wanted to say, and the one other genin whose hopes and dreams hadn't been crushed yet could only gap in surprise. Sasuke was so shocked that his normally emotionless visage was reduced to a sputtering mess, yet the rage inside him was clear. One single word it seemed, was all that it took to take the Uchiha down. "_Issues_," the jonin had sneered.

"And don't think I have nothing to say about you Miss Haruno Sakura…quite frankly, I have tons to say, but I'll spare you the details," he said. "You graduated top of your class, only tying with our favorite Uchiha here…your skills are that of a low class chunin too…Tell me Sakura though, you come from a civilian background, don't you? And apparently your daddy dearest left the village when you were six and some long lost sister came to take care of you? Who is apparently a jounin? My my…doesn't that sound awfully suspicious?" He drawled, sounding like for all intents and purposes, he didn't actually care if she told him or not.

But Sakura did care. What did he know about her? Or her sister? Did he know that Luna was an illegal citizen of the village? And did he also know about Kimimaro? He didn't mention her whiter haired adoptive brother but still…he could be purposely omitting that little tid bit of information. And if he did know the truth, was he going to report them? Tell it to the Hokage? More importantly…the man was clearly waiting for a reply! Should she lie? Or simply not tell him the whole truth? Her sister had taught her how to lie selectively, it was part of her interrogation course that the older girl had put her through, and as great as she was at it, Sakura doubted that this man was easy to trick. Lazy and uncaring as he seemed, he just didn't seem like the type. Alright…lying selectively was the best choice. Because then he-

"Well, I suppose that's not important at the moment…" the charcoal eyed man drawled, cutting off her thoughts completely, leaving the emerald eyed girl to stare at him in surprise. "But, I will find out eventually.

"But despite all that I have just said, I still can't change the fact that I have become your jounin sensei. And the Hokage won't let me fail you like I did all the other teams. So, because I actually have to put in the effort, I will damn well do a good job of it. So, starting tomorrow, I'll put you all through the most brutal training you have ever been through, and I'll make sure that you hazardous useless pieces of lard turn out to be one of the most widely renowned ninja of your generation. Because I can't have my name being tarnished by some moron trio. And the Hokage threatened to strip me of my status if I fail…meet me tomorrow at training grounds seventeen. At four. You'll find a map posted on your backs

Then snapping his book shut, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving three bewildered genin in his wake.

"Huh?" Naruto asked confused, now more or less out of his funk. Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other before nodding and experimentally groping at their backs, eyes widening in surprise when they did indeed feel a piece of paper taped there.

"W-what? When the hell did he do that? And how could we not notice?!" Naruto exclaimed, he too tearing off the paper from his jumpsuit. His cerulean eyes perused the contents for a while and at first glance, it would seemed that he actually understood the diagram. That is until his whole face turned into one of incomprehension.

"Sakura-chayyyn!" He whined like a baby. Sakura rolled her eyes in exasperation at his antics.

"Really Naruto, what were you during class? You're holding it the wrong way you dumbass," she said, whacking him up the head and turning the paper around in his hand, making the north arrow face forward.

"Oh! You're so awesome Sakura-chan! Thank you!" He exclaimed, a look of understanding now dawning on his face.

"Hn. Dobe." Sasuke said with more hostility than usual, making their pink haired teammate raise an eyebrow.

"Teme!" Naruto retorted loudly, shaking his fist at him trying to be intimidating.

"Tch," the onyx eyed boy replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets, along with the paper. Sakura was watching him though, and she could see that he still hadn't calmed down. It was amazing what one word could do to a person actually, making even an Uchiha seethe with anger.

'And we all know how emotionless they are…' Sakura thought, thinking back to her brief encounters with Itachi as a child.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow then," Sakura said, she too putting her paper in her pocket and heading to the door. "Naruto, don't sleep late or you might drag us all down during training. Remember, teamwork is key. Even if you don't think so, Sasuke."

"See you tomorrow Sakura-chan!" Naruto called after her, his previous despair forgotten, albeit his tone was a little softer than normal. Maybe what their teacher had said had made an impression.

"Bye Sakura," Sasuke said to her, and giving them both a small but reassuring smile, she left the room, and then the academy.

* * *

><p><em>'Dear Sakura,<em>

_By the time you read this, Kimimaro and I would have already left the borders of Fire country. I have held up my end of the deal, now it is time for you to hold up yours._

_Do not bother coming for me until you can at least land one hit on Kimimaro._

_Luna.'_

Sakura put the letter down with shaky hands, not registering the tears which were splashing onto the page.

Already out of fire country? But it took a whole day to do that! But Sakura supposed it wasn't too much of a shock, considering how fast those two were…but it was all so sudden! No goodbyes, nothing to even indicate that they were about to pack up shop and leave! This morning started out like normal, nothing out of the ordinary. So why would they just leave? Had she done something? But she couldn't remember doing anything wrong….

"No," Sakura said firmly, roughly wiping away her tears.

She had done nothing wrong, that she knew. Really, when she thought about it, it was expected. How naïve could she have been to think that her Onee-chan would stay with her forever? The deal was for Luna to train her and make her strong and be one of the best kunoichi, in return for Sakura to be her servant. Her shield and sword and be prepared to die for her, which Sakura would gladly do.

There was no way to describe how grateful and thankful the pink haired girl was to her sister. The white haired girl had shown so much generosity, and kindness, taking her in and caring for her. Always being there, and also molding her into a ninja. Her sister had also taught her many things, from jutsu to fighting styles.

Sakura knew that Luna was only doing this so she could be strong enough to be of use, and at one point in time, Sakura had even wondered if she even cared, if she wasn't just wearing a damn good façade. But even with the possibility of false affection, Sakura still loved her Onee-chan with all her heart, and put her before anyone. Even if she were to kill herself, she would do it in a heartbeat.

Because really, her sister didn't need a useless tool.

So after wiping away her tears and blowing her brains out in a tissue, she stood tall with a determined smirk on her face.

She would become strong. Stronger than anyone, and she would serve Luna, no questions asked.

* * *

><p>"The chunin exams are coming up," an only slightly interested voice remarked offhandedly.<p>

"Are they?" Was the nonchalant answer given by the burgundy haired man who was doing some paper work.

"They are," the first voice said. "Will you be attending?"

Now the red head looked up, his bright yellow eyes giving the teen all his attention. Said teen didn't seem deterred though, only shifting to move a green bang away from his face. Not that it made much of a difference, considering his shaggy spiky hair just fell back down. "Why the sudden interest, Kenji?" He asked, slowly putting down his pen and leaning back in his big plush looking chair, looking every bit the important figure he was.

The green haired boy shrugged, his matching sunshine colored orbs looking bored. "Luna's minions will be participating. You remember them, no? The Kazekage's son and that…other girl."

The other man in the room stood, and regally walked to the window, overlooking the whole parish. He remained quiet for a while, tracing patterns on the window, the big empty white circle displayed proudly on his back.

Kenji watched patiently, shifting deeper into the comfortable couch. Once more, he wondered what was going through the older man's red clad head. Did he miss their sister? Was he curious about her whereabouts? Personally, yes, Kenji could admit that he missed the white haired girl, if only a tad, but he "saw" her often. Being sent on missions a lot and all. Sometimes they crossed paths, other times he heard news about her from his contacts…she was seventeen now, wasn't she? He hadn't spoken to her for about two years give or take. Last time he saw her, the green haired boy was on a diplomatic mission in Konoha, and even if she was henge'd, he could recognize her telltale yellow eyes anywhere. They had nodded at each other but that was as far as communication had gone between the two siblings.

"Perhaps I shall make a brief appearance then," the other man finally said, slim fingers drumming against the windowsill. "Just to see if she hasn't been wasting time."

"Oh, but she hasn't," the green haired boy pointed out. "She has made many diplomatic allies during the past few years. The Kazekage being one of them."

"The Kazekage's alliance will soon be useless," the diplomat in the room stated, turning away from the window and walking the few paces back to his chair, but stopping just behind it, his hands resting on the seat.

"What do you mean by that, Sozai?" Kenji asked, now actually interested, seeing that he finally called the older man by name.

"You shall see in time," he stated. " You must get started on preparations then. After all, we only have five months left. Things need to be done. You of course, shall be my personal guard. I need no one else…I'm in the mood for something sweet. Go get me a muffin." .

"I am not your servant," Kenji said, rolling his golden eyes but standing up nonetheless.

"True," Sozai said with an amused smirk on his face. "But you are my younger brother. And you are my tool. In both cases, I rank higher than you."

"Nice to see how humble you are, oh honorable brother of mine," the green haired boy said, bowing mockingly.

"Just go get the cake you imbecile," the burgundy haired man demanded, throwing a pencil with enough force to kill a lesser man.

Kenji just chuckled and disappeared in a swirl of dried flowers.

* * *

><p>"Good morning my ugly little ducklings!" The silver haired man exclaimed sarcastically once he appeared in a puff of smoke. "My my my…don't we all look quite chipper today ne? I hope all that enthusiasm will last the whole day!" He said to the three genin who looked like they were about to pass out.<p>

At six o'clock in the morning. Two hours later than scheduled.

"YOU'RE LATE!" A fact which Naruto didn't neglect to mention. The silver haired man in question just waved his gloved hand carelessly.

"I saw a kitten all alone this morning," he said to the three genin, "and it looked so helpless, so I just had to take it back to my place and give it a bath and some food. Poor thing didn't even want me to leave."

It was silent for a while. The trio pondering in their heads whether or not to believe their new jonin sensei. There wasn't any particular reason _not_ to…BUT! His excuse sounded a tad bit fishy to them. In the end, they just decided to let it go and nodded halfheartedly.

"Um, sensei, Sakura pointed, changing the subject to something more simple. "You never did tell us your name."

"Oh. I guess I didn't," he said, walking forward towards the big giant gates in front of them, blocking the genin's view of the training grounds. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. But really, that's the least of your problems." They watched, curious as he put his hand under a chakra scanner then punched in a few numbers. So they gathered that this place must be dangerous if it had such tight security.

"Welcome to training grounds seventeen!" He exclaimed brightly, turning towards them with what they assumed was a grin on his face. "This will be your new home for the next two months. I hope you'll come to love it as much as I do!"

"What?" Sakura asked confused but before she heard the reply, Kakashi appeared behind her in a flash and before she could register anything, she was out, the last thing she saw being the falling bodies of her teammates.

Next thing she knew, she was crumpled uncomfortably under a pile of bodies feeling like a piece of crap.

She roughly shoved off the still slumbering Naruto and Sasuke before standing up and taking note of her surroundings. But as soon as she saw them, she was convinced that she was still knocked out because this was surely some messed up dream.

All around her was barren dry land. No trees, animals or water in sight. Even the absoulutely clichéd tumble weed just rolled past.

How could a place like this even exist in a lush and tropical village such as Konoha anyway? Did Kakashi expect them to survive here for the next two months? Well, they'd probably be dead before the end of the week. Sure maybe there were some lizards and snakes around that they could eat there would be the water problem. Luna had taught the pink haired girl many water jutsu because it was her second affinity (she had two because of her absolutely perfect chakra control), but she didn't have the chakra capacity to make water out of thin air. That was beyond her. Maybe someone like Naruto with the Kyubi's chakra could but she was pretty sure he didn't know any water jutsu. Or any other jutsu except the academy basics.

She walked around a little bit, leaving the two unconscious boys behind her to get a sense of the environment and she was right when she assumed that there was nothing. And it was so hot that you could see the heat sizzling above the ground. There were a few cacti scattered here and there and the occasional lizard also scurried by once in a while into patches of dried grass, but other than that, no matter which direction you looked, it was just dry rock. She supposed that this was a test Kakashi was giving them to test their worthiness.

She quickly turned back before she walked too far and possibly got lost and arrived just in time to see Sasuke roll out from under Naruto and stand up. He noticed her as soon as she came into range and tensed a bit, most probably thinking it was an enemy. He saw her pink hair soon after and relaxed.

"Sakura, where are we?" He asked looking around and prodding at the ground with his feet. Sakura took one more look around before shrugging helplessly.

"Training ground seventeen I suppose. But I don't understand how a place so barren could be in Konoha. It doesn't make sense to me." Sakura said to him, walking forward and picking up a stray stone which she started tossing up and down.

"I know," Sasuke said, plopping onto the ground cross legged. "Kakashi expects us to survive here for two months?"

"Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke," the emerald eyed girl suggested, sitting across from him, though wincing when her bum was poked by a sharp stone. "Show some respect. But yes, I think he does want us to. How though, I do not know. I suppose it's a test of some kind."

"Hn…" Was the simple response from the coal eyed boy. They remained in silence for a few minutes, both thinking about their current predicament.

"You know Katon jutsu right?" Sakura asked, just to make sure that at least they would have food in this barren wasteland.

"Yeah, some. Being part of my clan made sure of that. Why?" He asked, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"To be able to at least eat, no? Now the only other problem is water. I'm sure if we look hard enough we can find a source an-" But the pink haired girl was interrupted by a pitiful groan loud enough to wake the dead, curtousy of one Uzumaki Naruto.

"Sakura-chyyyaan! Where are we?" Naruto asked pushing himself up and rubbing his neck, looking dazed and confused.

"Obviously we don't know, dobe." Sasuke answered in her stead. Sakura tuned out the rest of their bickering and pulled out a scroll from her kunai pouch. The pink haired girl was just happy that she hadn't decided to leave it at home that day.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" She called out, swiping the scroll with her bloodied finger and soon after, a puff of smoke appeared, drawing the attention of the two boys.

"What do you want this time?" A lazy but irritated cat asked, lazily grooming its black paw. Sakura just rolled her eyes and ignored the rude tone.

"Well, I was wondering if you could please search out a water source for us," Sakura asked trying to be polite. "As you can see, we really need it."

"Whatever," And after that, the little feline was off.

"Woah…" Naruto said in awe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sucky chapter, I know...Really sorry about that too but people, it's spring break! No one has the time to stay indoors! And I sure hope you are all enjoying your's as much as I am!<strong>_

_**THANK YOU ALLLLLLL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCHOOOOO FOR THE REVIEWS! OH MY GOSH! FOURTEEN! I'M SOOO HAPPY \(^0^)/ **_

_**I feel appreciated you know? I'm just glad you guys actually like this! And, to my new favorite guest reviewer, well, I'm weird too, so I don't mind. As for who is Luna's brother in the political sense? Well, I'm not telling, but we did get a little glimpse of him this chapter so I'm pretty happy. **_

_**As for Kimimaro? Well, considering the fact that he is from one of the most wanted clans in Mist, and he is being hunted by his own village, well, the poor thing can't be ALWAYS roaming the streets of Konoha can he? Poor thing, I know.**_

_**For you Gaara fans, not to fear for the Chunin exams will soon be here, and boy will you all be in for a surprise!  
><strong>_

_**I made Kakashi harsher than normal because really, for such a widely known shinobi, he was pretty weak no? I decided to actually make him strong so that he wont be defeated by a few well placed moves. Did you all like the intro? It was an idea I got from another fic. Actually, did you like the chapter in general? I know it was short and I'm really sorry about that, I promise I'll maek the next one longer! **_

_**Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! I would kiss you all if I could. **_

_**And, I can't forget my trusty Beta! Ashley, you're a star! **_

_**Now...Don't forget to review again, to give this author a little ego boost and don't hesitate to leave me PM's okay? I'm all for conversation. **_

_**PUMPKIN. So, I put that word there to see if anyone actually reads my long ass authors notes. The gist is to leave a review with the word in it(and whatever else you want) and I'll see if you all read my notes! 'K?**_

**_Also, isn't Empire of the Sun just awesome? I sure think so! _**

**_Review!_**

**_Lots of love,_**

**_Bluetopianprincess^o^_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Review...Review...Review...Review...\( ^0^)/**_

* * *

><p>"SAKURA-CHAAN! IT BIT ME!" A shrill voice shouted and Sakura looked up to see Naruto hopping around trying to shake off a lizard from his hand.<p>

Indeed it did bite him, judging from the sharp pair of teeth sunk into his hand and the blood trickling down. Sighing, she put down the two stones she was using and got up to help her blond friend, since Sasuke wasn't even sparing him a glance, but she could clearly hear his mutterings of "Idiot".

"Naruto, stay still!" She said, slapping his arm, making him fall to the floor in pain. "Let me get it off you!"

She knelt down in front him. The blue eyed boy was pouting like a child whose candy had just been taking away but she ignored him, and held his bloodied hand in her own, then gently extracted the lizard from it. It tried to scurry away, but the Uchiha sitting a few feet away got it with a kunai.

"I knew it wanted revenge!" Naruto exclaimed. "Because we've been eating its family, you know? So obviously it's going to come back for us! But mostly for me, because I was so hungry and they tasted like chicken! I feel horrible Sakura-chyaaan! What will I do? Oh gosh, Kami-sama forgive me! I didn't mean it! But they were just sooo good an-"

But he was shut up by the butt of a kunai to the head, knocking him down. "Shut. Up. Dobe." Sasuke stated, clearly irritated.

Naruto couldn't reply because he was too busy seeing stars, but he was conscious enough to groan an angry reply. Sakura just laughed and pulled out a bandage from her pouch, wrapping it around the blond's already healed hand.

"Just for precautions," she mumbled to herself, not intending for anyone else to hear. But Sasuke and his sharp senses did, and he gave her a suspicious look, which she played off by shrugging.

He looked like he didn't want to drop it, but eventually looked away and carried on trying to light the fire with a mini Gokakyuu no jutsu. The dried grass immediately took fire, creating a comforting orange blaze in the setting sun. Since, despite the mishap with the reptile, Naruto had already gutted and cleaned the lizards the had hunted and skewered them, she picked up the ten dead reptiles (two for Sakura and Sasuke, six for their blond comrade) and handed them over to the Uchiha, who roughly stuck the sticks into the ground, grilling them over the fire.

"Sakura, we need water," Sasuke told her, and she nodded.

Over the course of the seven weeks they had been stranded in this exaggerated excuse for a training ground, the pink haired girl had at least managed to get used to doing some minor water jutsu to help them survive. It wasn't easy, and drained most of her chakra but she supposed it was good training. Her chakra coils had expanded greatly since she came into the training grounds. They all made their contributions to their survival and maybe, one could call this group training even. Sasuke gave the warmth and fire, Naruto gave them food and shelter, and she gave them water and first aid. The three had also decided to spar with each other, so that their skills wouldn't get rusty. Because of this, Naruto was finally able to keep up with she and Sasuke, much to the Uchiha's disgruntlement. Really, the seven weeks had been quite productive for them, and somewhere in the back of her mind, the pink haired girl was slightly grateful to their jōnin sensei. Maybe he wasn't crazy after all.

"Ne…Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked when they were sitting around the fire under the dark sky, nibbling on their food. Both the other two genin's attention was drawn to the suddenly gloomy blond and gave him an expectant look.

"Well, you know that we've all become quite close this past few weeks…" Naruto said shyly, not looking at anyone of them. Even through the orange glow of the fire, both could see his clearly burning cheeks. "So, I was thinking that maybe we could all get something to signal our bond as a team. Like Team 8, who all wear hoodies and look like their dressed to go up in the mountains or something."

He looked like he regretted it though, seeing the hurt look on the blond's face. He didn't apologize of course, since he was an Uchiha and all, so he just looked away. Sakura wasn't so quick to dismiss the blue eyed boy's idea, and rolled the idea around her head for a bit. It would be a good thing…after all. Team bonds were very important. But she couldn't get attached. She had promised to be loyal to no one but her Onee-chan.

…Oh who was she kidding? She'd been attached to these two idiots ever since she had met them two years ago and it was too late to cut those bonds. Maybe though, it could be used to her advantage. She wouldn't be Luna's pupil if she didn't know how to take advantage of certain situations. They could both make her stronger, and in return she could try and "help" Sasuke gain his dream of killing Itachi and Naruto's dream of being Hokage. It was a win-win situation, really.

"I don't think that's such a bad idea Naruto," she told him, flinging her bones away and dusting her hands on her severely ripped up tights, which now only covered a few parts of her legs.

Naruto looked up, a bright grin on his face, which was so infectious that even she had to join in, and Sasuke was left to stare at his two beaming teammates wondering why he just had to get saddled with one idiot and a softy.

"Alright! In your face, teme! See? Sakura-chan is on my side now!" Naruto exclaimed, sticking his tongue out at Sasuke, to which the Uchiha responded to by casually cleaning his nails with a very sharp kunai. The cerulean eyed boy got the message and immediately retracted the muscle.

"But what'll we do?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.

Naruto stopped to think, and surprisingly, so did Sasuke. They remained in silence for a while, each with a pensive look on their face thinking of something cool.

"Why don't we wear earrings?" Naruto suggested, and both Sakura and Sasuke shook his head.

"That's Team 10's thing," Sakura drawled on, rolling her eyes. "Ino-pig came bragging to me about the studs her teacher gave her yesterday." The two boys on her team gave her a weird look before silently agreeing with each other on something she had no clue about.

"Hn", Sasuke grunted. "Then why don't we just change and coordinate our outfits?"

Hmm...It wasn't a bad idea though; it was practical and could also be stylish. Also, it wouldn't be a hassle if it was just clothes. And looking at everyone's ripped up clothes; they all clearly needed a change of attire. Especially Naruto, whose bright orange jumpsuit and black t-shirt had been reduced to a flimsy pair of shorts and a midriff cut.

"That could work…teme." Naruto agreed, but never forgetting the insult. And Sakura nodded in agreement, making Sasuke bear a very smug smirk on his face.

"Hn," the Uchiha stated. "Well then, when we're released next week, we'll go find some."

"Yeah! And our colors will be red, black and orange! And maybe some silver…for Kakashi-sensei." Naruto added at the end.

"I am not wearing orange, dobe." Sasuke declared resolutely.

"Ah, come on Sasuke," Sakura said to him, trying to pacify the Uchiha "It won't be a lot, just to represent Naruto. The outfit will be mostly black anyway."

Naruto also nodded enthusiastically, until finally, the onyx eyed boy agreed.

"YES!" Naruto shouted happily, fist pumping energetically. "Team 7 will be legendary! And we'll go on missions and kick ass and save the world! Yeah baby!"

And neither Sakura nor Sasuke had the heart to stop his mini-celebration.

Underground, a silver haired jōnin smiled softly. It seemed they had finally learned the lesson he was trying to teach them. Teamwork was very important, and it was crucial that they learned it before going on any serious meetings. Stranding them in the dry kraal was to teach them how to work together and survive…and maybe a little for his own amusement. But the point was it was training, and he was also proud to say that they had also become a little stronger during their time here. So all in all, it was a very beneficial training ground.

He, on the other hand, had spent the past seven weeks training like the devil himself was coming for him. Since the years during the war, well it was safe to say that his once great and feared skills had become more than a little…rusty as much as he despised to admit it. Before when he was strong enough to take on the Hokage himself and at least be able to gravely injure the man, now all it would take was a serious spar with Gai to take him down. Luckily, during their little competitions he had never let that happen…oh the humiliation of being beaten by someone who wore a bright green jumpsuit that hugged way too well.

But he had a team now, and even though he didn't really want them, he was still going to protect them with his life. And how the hell was he going to do that if some random missing-nin could take him down? The day he met them, he went to his friend's grave and swore that he wouldn't let anything happen to the irritating morons because if something did happen, well, there would be a suicidal jōnin for the Hokage to deal with.

Anyway, he was…proud of his team, if that was the word. They had managed to survive this long, proving that they weren't completely useless and only had one more week to go. After that, well, it was missions from there on out. And he sure as hell wasn't going to let them get only D-rank missions.

Over his dead body.

Cleaning up crap and chasing homicidal maniacs, also known as Tora the cat, wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. But then again, maybe a few to torture his ugly little ducklings with would be a bit fun…Yes, quite fun actually.

Meh, maybe a few wouldn't be too bad…

* * *

><p>Wait, was this a dream? Could she really feel the warm wind tickle her hair? The soft grass under her flushed body. Could she really hear the birds chirping happily? It must have been a drea-<p>

SPALSH!

"AHH!" A shrill voice screamed, and she too immediately jackknifed into a sitting position, spluttering and coughing along with her black haired teammate.

"Wake up, my little ducklings!" A very cheerful voice said from above them. "What a beautiful day it is! Always best to start bright and early, you know? And you three really needed that with the way you smelt."

Sakura roughly swiped her wet pink hair from her forehead and looked up, with a glare that could make even most men cower. Too bad Kakashi wasn't part of that category.

"What the hell, Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto shouted, jumping to his feet all up in the older man's face and shaking his fist angrily. Kakashi just gave him a look which clearly said "Get out of my personal space. NOW."

Even a knucklehead like Naruto got the message and he reluctantly moved away, mostly for his self-preservation.

Looking to her right, she saw that her Uchiha companion wasn't even looking at them, instead just wallowing in his own pit of silent fury.

'Cool and composed,' she thought she heard him mutter over and over again.

"Anyway, today is the day we start missions," he told them all, ignoring their shocked faces. "But first, I can't have you all looking like you went through a meat grinder. What will the people think? And, I'm also really tired of those stupid clothes you guys call outfits so," He paused, digging into his pocket and pulling out a HUGE clump of money before tossing it into the most trusted student's lap, which was obviously Sakura's. "Here's some money, and we're all going to go shopping. I need a new mask myself, so I'll be accompanying you."

"W-Will you be paying for us?" Naruto asked surprised.

"Tch. I don't need anyone to pay for me." Sasuke said pridefully.

Sakura didn't either, considering the fact that as unexpected as it was, or not-so unexpected, her sister had left her a damn large sum in the bank. But it would be rude to decline the gift, and she had been taught better.

"Sasuke…think of it as a gift, okay? 'Cause you can be sure as hell that I won't be paying for anything of yours ever again. This is a once in a lifetime chance…going once…go twice…-"

"We'll take it!" Naruto shouted before he could finish, making Kakashi's eye crinkle in what they assumed be a smile and he nodded.

"Good, shall we go then?" He asked, not even waiting for a response before turning around and walking away, and to the genin's disgruntlement, the epitome of swag.

Yes, their teacher was just infuriating.

Walking down the streets of Konoha was an experience to say the least though, and people couldn't stop staring at the three drenched and dirty genin all wearing rags that only covered the bare essentials. They were self-conscious about it, but their teacher didn't seem fazed about, calmly walking with his nose buried in his book, expertly dodging passerbys and the occasional animal.

Eventually, much to the genin's relief, their sensei stopped in front of a shop which he deemed suitable and entered, the trio following immediately, eager to get away from prying eyes.

"Get whatever you want. Sakura, just don't let them get anything stupid." He said before heading into a completely different section of the store, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Alright then, you guys remember what we said. What's our color palette?" The only female of the team asked, turning to the two boys expectantly, testing to see if they actually did remember.

"Orange!" Naruto immediately called out enthusiastically.

"Black," Sasuke said, clearly just as enthusiastic, but keeping it hidden much better.

"Wrong. Black, orange, red and silver." Sakura instructed firmly, making the blond pout and Sasuke smirk. "We need to get something that includes all of this. I'm not saying matching outfits or anything, just ones that accentuate each other. And the outfit will have to be mostly black, Naruto." She then looked each of them in the eye to further her point before dividing the money equally.

"He gave us four hundred and fifty ryo," she told them, ignoring Naruto's shocked gasp and Sasuke's raised eyebrow, then she calmly handed the other two their one-fifty.

"We'll start with Naruto. Come, Sasuke."

* * *

><p>Naruto had to admit that the outfit Sakura had to choose for him wasn't so bad. The black shinobi pants with orange trimming at the bottom and a matching black vest-like tail coat which only reached slightly under his waist with the orange t-shirt under made him look cool, even if he would have rather made the whole thing orange had he had the chance. But Sakura, being the type of girl she was, wouldn't let him, and instead she had promised to sew the orange swirl onto the back as soon as she got the chance; also let him get the plain orange fingerless gloves adorning his hands. His sandals had also changed, to mid-calve plain black one's with orange laces, similar to Sakura's previous ones.<p>

Stopping his little bout of self-appreciation, he looked at Sasuke and begrudgingly admitted that the Uchiha also looked pretty awesome.

He was wearing black shorts with dark blue trimming at the bottom and a plain black t-shirt under a high colored, short sleeved black jacket, which also looked like a shorter version of a tail coat. Unlike Naruto's, though, the trimming was orange. Sakura, bless her soul, had also promised to sew the Uchiha clan symbol onto it. He had changed his accessories, wearing plain blue fingerless gloves and mid-calve sandals like Naruto's, but with blue laces.

Yes, he looked cool. And he knew it too, judging by the not-so subtle smirk he was sporting.

And lastly, was Sakura, who just looked hot (the blond couldn't stop blushing every time he looked at her). She was wearing a mid-sleeve length tail coat which, like both her teammates, reached slightly under her behind with red trimming and a red tank top underneath it with long black tights that had one red line going down the side of her legs. Her sandals were black like her comrades' but instead with red laces. She flexed her red fingerless clad gloves, and admired herself in the mirror, and much to her joy, her tights, which extended inside her shoes just made it seem like her legs were endless.

And the item that tied them all together, which also represented their sensei, were the two silver mini-kunai used for different things. Sakura was using them as hair decorations, Naruto was using them as a vest closer and Sasuke had put one on each of his gloves at the wrist. They had yet to give Kakashi his own pair. But they were should he would like them.

All in all, they looked damn good.

"Well don't you all look….less ugly," Kakashi said, poofing into Sakura's apartment, where they had all decided to clean up since it was the closest to the store. "I'm glad I entrusted Sakura with such an important mission."

Startled, all three jumped, not expecting their sensei to make such a sudden appearance. How did he even know where they were anyway?

"Hehe, thanks Kaka-sensei." Naruto said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. The jōnin looked a bit taken aback by the nickname but he recovered swiftly.

"Anyway, let's head on over to the Hokage's office, shall we? I'm sure you guys are excited for your first mission, no?" He asked, already turning around. The three genin looked at each other before nodding, prompting Sakura to move forward.

"Ano, Kaka-sensei…Well, we have something to give to you." Sakura said, making the jonin turn around and raise his eyebrow expectantly.

"Yes, what is it, UD number two?" He asked, momentarily flooring Sakura for a moment.

"Huh?" Naruto intelligently asked. Even Sasuke looked lost.

"Well, I can't always be saying 'Ugly duckling', so UD will just have to do for now. Anyway, what is it?" He asked the shocked girl.

'Ugly duckling?' The pink haired girl thought in horror.

"Here," she said angrily, stuffing the two kunai charms into his hand. They were tied together by a black string but he could detach them if needed.

They watched shyly as he took his time examining the two silver charms, turning them around in the sun making them produce bright rays.

"Hmm, pure silver huh? Not bad." He told them smiling brightly, before clipping them onto his belt where everyone could see.

And it was at that moment that Team 7 really became a team.

"So, what are you all waiting for?" He asked them, then turning around a walking away, the three genin quickly following.

Thirty minutes later, they were standing in the Hokage's office in awkward silence, watching the old but very fierce man smoke his pipe like he had all the time in the world.

'Tch, one would think he'd move faster since he already has one foot in the grave.' Thought Sasuke irritably.

The only sounds in the room were the puffs of released air at regular intervals and the annoying tapping of pen hitting paper by the two chūnin doing paperwork. Team 7 was only too aware of the strong gaze their Kage was giving them over his pipe, and they were feeling self-conscious. Of course though, their teacher was only too comfortable reading his book and leaning against the wall lazily, not feeling the tense atmosphere at all.

Finally, Hiruzen put down his smoking equipment noiselessly, making everyone minus Kakashi stare in envy at his grace, and leaned forward, his two folded hands blocking his nose from view.

"My…Team 7, how you have changed," the old man drawled, his brown gaze shifting towards the jōnin in question, who didn't even look up from his book. "Has it really only been two months? It feels like a century. And it seems you have gotten stronger, judging by your chakra. It makes me wonder what training Kakashi has put you through."

'Tch,' the Hokage thought smirking in amusement, 'disrespectful brat like always.' Because no one else could get away with that type of behavior if not Kakashi. Not even his own son. Because, if Kakashi really wanted to stage a coup, he damn well could.

Really, Kakashi was a shoe in for his next successor if he had to choose them.

"Anyone, I already know why you have come," the Kage said, reaching under his desk and throwing the scroll at the silver haired jōnin, who caught it without even looking up from his novel. "And I sure know that it is not for some D-rank mission. Personally, I believe that you can all handle something harder, considering who your teacher is. So I have the perfect mission for you all. It's a simple C-rank mission, only an escort of a civilian bridge builder back to his town, The Land of Waves. It can't take more than a month since you all have to travel at civilian pace and I'm sure you won't have to face anything more than bandits on the road so that should be enough to satisfy you, no?"

They all watched as Kakashi sighed and doggy ear the page he was reading before tucking his beloved safely in his breast pocket and opening the scroll, quickly perusing the contents before closing it and looking at the Professor with a raised eyebrow, asking a question only the Hokage could hear. Momentarily they both looked serious but their emotions were shoved away before anyone even noticed a thing.

"Not to worry Kakashi. I know what you've been doing recently, you can handle it. Actually, we must have a little meeting at the training grounds when you get back. I must have a little chat with you." The Kage said innocently, smiling easily. Kakashi knew that 'chat' meant spar but he wasn't at liberty to say it out loud. Instead, he just smiled under his mask, his eye creasing like usual and scratched his neck.

"Maa…I suppose so. When we get back…Anyway where's the client?" He asked, changing the subject to something safer, aware of the curious gazes of his three students. Clearly they hadn't understood the conversation, which was a good thing.

Though, he was a tad bit surprised when the Hokage had told him that he knew what he was doing. He thought his secret training sessions were well…secret. But then again, you can't really hide anything from Sarutobi Hiruzen. At least now he could put his newly polished skills to use again. He was happy that he was being sent out of the village under the cover of a simple escort mission. Actually, his real mission was to dispose of Momochi Zabuza and collect the bounty. The Hokage didn't actually didn't want the money, it was just that the old man was tired of a bunch of his shinobi being killed by the bloodthirsty swordsman. Kakashi could just keep the money, and there would also be another famous criminal added under his name in the bingo book.

That would make fifty-four S-rank shinobi if he counted correctly.

The Third Fire Shadow knew that their client was lying about the rank of the mission, obviously. The wise old man had just decided to use the mission to his advantage. Because really, how could any shinobi worth his salt not know about the political and economic situation in Wave at the moment? Gato's shipping company was controlling their whole island and it would only make sense if he got rid of his biggest threat immediately. And the bridge builder was that threat. And with a little research the Hokage had found out who was tasked with the job of taking him out. Zabuza was a hindrance to the village of Konoha, either killing or maiming their shinobi regularly so what better time to get rid of him? Send out a genin squad with a competent teacher, call it a C-rank and deal with the criminal once and for all. And in the end, when they had 'found' out about the false rank, get the mission pay for an A-rank! It was like hitting two birds with one stone!

Once again, Kakashi was reminded how truly great their Kage was.

"Bring in the client." The Hokage called out and one chunin immediately rushed to do his bidding. Not even five minutes later, the big oak soundproof doors opened slowly, making the three genin lean forward to get a slightly better view, prompting Sarutobi to chuckle whist relighting his trusty pipe.

"Tch. These three brats are supposed to protect me? They don't look like anything, hic, special to me. I demand a refund." A middle aged man said as soon as he walked into the room and took in the scene. The three brats in question fumed angrily, Naruto almost tackling their client even. Luckily, the words Kakashi had told him the first day they had met had actually made a difference.

"Especially the short one, hic¸ he looks like he could be knocked down with a pinky." The old man said, clearly drunk.

"Haha! Who's the short one?" Naruto asked, an amused smile on his face…which slowly melted off when he realized that Sasuke and Sakura were at least two inches taller than him respectively.

Looks like the joke's on him.

"WHAT?! WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORT OLD MAN?!" Naruto shouted angrily, pouncing at their customer. Luckily, Kakashi caught him by the collar before he would do something drastic.

"You can't attack the client Naruto. We're supposed to protect him." The masked man said tiredly. Naruto struggled for a while, shouting profanities but eventually calmed down, when he realized that Kakashi wasn't going to let him down. Eventually, he just pouted and crossed his arms, hanging limply from his teacher's hand.

Once said teacher was assured that he wouldn't attack their client, he slowly put down the blond and turned back to the Hokage.

"So when do we leave?" He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets and bending one knee lazily. The chunin in the room looked at the jonin in awe.

'He's so cool!' The first one thought, staring in admiration at the silver haired man, who really was the epitome of Swag at the moment…Or all the time.

"I would've rather you left today but it's getting late and we can't have Tazuna here getting tired now can we? It's best you all get some rest tonight and then you'll head out at eight tomorrow." The Hokage said, tipping his hat forward, casting a shadow over his eyes and leaning back in his chair, letting out ring shaped tufts of smoke.

How he did that, the three genin would never know.

"I'm not that old, unlike some people." Tazuna said, taking an angry swig at his Sake bottle.

Sarutobi ignored the jeer and instead pasted on a bright smile, which literally screamed "Fake!" to Kakashi.

"I understand that. Why, you are still only at your prime. But it's best to be in top form always." The Hokage stated, clearly putting a stop to the topic.

"Don't be late Kakashi. Dismissed!" The Hokage ordered and they all did as told, leaving without another word.

* * *

><p>As soon as the doors were closed, Kakashi rounded on them, surprising them all.<p>

"You heard what the Hokage said. Eight am. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, pack for two months, weapons only. One spare change of clothes is permitted. Exploding tags, storage seals, kunai, shuriken and the like. If you paid attention in class, you'd know what to bring." There he was again, serious, harsh Kakashi. The one they had first met, and honestly, they had forgotten what he was like. They nodded mutely, storing the information in their minds for later use. Tazuna just watched in horror as their teacher literally told them to bring weapons of mass destruction! Why, they were only children! They should even know how to handle a knife properly! These people were absolutely crazy!

Thank goodness his little Inari wouldn't grow up to be a killer!

"Tazuna-san. I expect you to only bring the bare necessities as well. We can't have you lagging behind or holding us back now can we?" The coal eyed man asked in such a coldly pleasant voice that it sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"N-no, sir." The bridge builder stammered, afraid that maybe this man was batshit crazy enough to actually kill him.

"Great! Don't be late everyone!" The masked man called out cheerfully before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving the four people staring after him, still scared.

Slowly but surely, Tazuna was left alone, still terrified for his life and shaking like a leaf!

'Maybe I should have gone to Mist.' He thought to himself when he finally regained his wits.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Let's play a love game, a love game!"-Lady Gaga<strong>_

_**YES PEOPLE! We shall play a love game! I've been thinking if this story should have pairings. And even if they should, I cant't decide between whom. The pairings would only be Luna/Someone and Sakura/Someone as those are out two fav gals! **_

_**Anyway, sadly, the one person we can't pair Sakura with is Kimimaro...As he's kinda like, her brother...Just sayin'**_

_**So, in you reviews, you can all put forth your suggestions and I shall think them over UNbiasedly. Is that a word? Lol, yeah. If it isn't, well this bitch just made it one suckers!**_

_**Talking about reviews...Only two people reviewed! Meaning only two said "PUMPKIN"(Thanks by the way Onxy and Johnny!) Not even three chapters ago did I do a rant about reviews! **_

_**If you don't want to review about my story then can you at least review about why you DON'T review? I honestly want to know... **_

_**Are you all excited for the Wave arc?! I know I'm not! Yeah! All those fight scenes, I fear I will just disappoint you guys...Ugh!**_

_**Anyway, I kinda updated early so you should all be happy bout that...**_

_**OH! Team 7 were still in Konoha! But because making a survival camp in Training Ground 44 is just too cliche'(insert french accent there) I decided to make my own training ground! I didn't include what they did but one day, when you all least expect it, I will make a filler chapter, about what happened. Just be patient!**_

_**Yeah...Thanks Ashley, great work like always! **_

_**EVERYONE MUST REVIEW! PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! PWEASE.**_

_**Lots of love,**_

_**Bluetopianprincess^o^**_

_**(REVIEW)**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Review...Review...Review...\( ^0^)/**_

* * *

><p>Walking with Tazuna-san was an experience to say the least. His drunken gait and intoxicated speech were quite amusing, if Sakura were to say. The man was constantly riling Naruto up and the blond, being the overly obnoxious dude that he was, just couldn't help reacting to the taunts. As always, their sensei just completely ignored them all by contenting himself with that book of his, and Sasuke was just doing…whatever Sasuke did when he was ignoring people. So poor Sakura was left alone, absentmindedly observing the scenery, and the occasional animal which entered her line of sight in the forest surrounding them. It was a disgustingly beautiful day, she thought, the sun was beaming down at them, the wind was tickling her hair, the sky was literally radiating calm and the clouds were big, white and puffy. All in all, a perfect day for cloud gazing. Maybe if she wasn't <em>so<em> bored she would be doing so herself. But alas, that could not be so.

They had been walking for four hours give or take, according to the sun's position; she hadn't brought her watch along, fearing that it would get ruined if the need arose for action. Really, if it kept going on like this, she would just randomly flop down in the middle of the road! At least it would give her something to do…

They passed a puddle, and Sakura didn't really pay much attention to it. Why question the poor puddle? Just let it do whatever it did on hot and dry days was her opinion.

'Wait a minute!' She thought pausing mid-step, making everyone turn to stare at her like she was crazy. Puddle? But it hadn't rained in months! And if some traveller had somehow spilled some water, it would have dried by now in this heat! She turned her neck to look at it once more, and it rippled. Not some gentle wind type of ripple, but like it had just been disturbed.

Then she knew it was no ordinary puddle. It was a Mist jutsu, which let the executors hide inside the water! They were about to be attacked! Her head whipped back towards her teacher, whose expression was also grave and he shook his head firmly, in response to her silent question.

'What do we do?' was her silent inquiry.

'Nothing at all,' Was his response.

The pink haired girl peered at him questioningly, as if he was high on something, but all he did was smile and carry on walking. With one last glance behind her, she too followed his lead, aware of the confused but curious pairs of eyes of their companions.

They had been walking for only ten minutes when it happened, and when it did, it took all of them by surprise.

SWISH!

They heard the sound, and when the genin plus their client looked up, it was to see a spiky-ass chain being pulled through their teacher.

"KAKA-SENSEI!" Naruto screamed, watching his teacher's body fall down, cut to pieces.

For a while, they all stared frozen at their teacher's decapitated head, before Sakura felt the tell-tale tickling sensation at the back of her neck.

'It's a Genjutsu!' She thought, before lifting her hands up in the required seal and calling out a soft Kai, whilst flaring her chakra.

When she looked again, it was just a block of wood in the ground, with their teacher nowhere to be found! Only this time, there were two…interesting looking teens grinning widely at them. Or at least that's what she thought. You couldn't really tell much because of the masks on their faces.

She watched in horror as in a split second, they appeared behind Naruto menacingly. The blond was frozen she noticed, and just as she was about to rush to his side, Sasuke made his appearance. The black eyed boy jumped high and threw a shuriken to pin the chain in the tree, then a kunai to hold it in place, before landing on the two enemies metal "arms". He kicked them both in the face, but they dodged, and instead ran into Sakura's direction.

'Now's my chance!' She thought, getting in front of their client.

"Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!" She called after making the appropriate hand signs and slamming her gloved palms on the floor, making the ground in front of her turn into a slippery brown concoction, which made her opponent slip comically because of his high speed.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Sasuke called out, spitting several fire balls to the ground, making the mud harden, trapping the fallen boy's body inside.

The second enemy squirmed, but the mud was too hard for him to break out of, and he eventually just settled with glaring at the two genin menacingly. Sasuke then rushed off to take care of the last enemy, moving so fast that he was a blur. She wished she could join him, but she had to guard their terrified and shaking client. He looked like he was about to wet himself, to which the pink haired girl had to hide an amused smile.

She did a few hand signs before once more slamming her palms to the ground and silently murmuring the name of the required jutsu.

"Doton: Doryūheki!" She said, and she watched as a big wall made of earth came up behind Tazuna, making him jump forward in surprise

"There," she mumbled, smirking at her work. "That should protect our back." Then she held out a kunai and got into a stance, ready at a moment's notice to block an enemy's attack.

As she watched Sasuke, her only warning was a slight shift in the wind before she had to push Tazuna out of the way of a flying body, which hit her wall so hard that it crumbled.

Her wall. The one which she was proud of!

'It just wasn't fair!' She thought pouting.

"Well! Looks like he's out! Maybe I got him too hard…?" A very familiar and very welcome voice asked unsurely.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?" She heard Naruto's shaky voice ask.

Sakura and Tazuna turned around to see the silver haired man standing next to a clearly fuming Sasuke looking like he hadn't just pretended to have been chopped up to pieces.

"Naruto," their teacher stated in such an indifferent voice that everyone knew the blond was in BIG trouble.

The poor guy looked ready to cry, and Sakura walked towards him to give him a reassuring rub on the shoulder. He didn't even look at her.

Five minutes and many harsh glares from Kakashi later, they had securely tied their enemies to a tree and were currently surrounding them, making the two masked teens shift uncomfortably.

It was a long and disturbing silence; everyone watching unsurely as Kakashi silently read his trusty book indifferent to all. Naruto was the most nervous of all, considering what was to come for him. Sakura thought Kakashi just loved to make them all squirm and feel uncomfortable for his own amusement.

"Do you know who these boys are, Tazuna-san?" Kakashi asked, voice cold, yet he was still reading.

Every one of the shinobi heard the civilian's audible gulp and they could all smell his fear, making some like Naruto move his head in the other direction.

"N-no, Kakashi-san," the Wave native stammered.

Once more, they lapsed into awkward silence, as if Kakashi hadn't even heard his reply. Sakura sighed silently, wondering when it was going to end. Kakashi was just like Luna, and sometimes even, Kimimaro. They were blunt, but they liked to prolong the conversation, as if they had no reason to rush. Honestly, the pink haired girl had always hated it, and it had always made her siblings amused about how impatient she was. Really, people should just cut to the chase.

"These two are very dangerous chūnin from Mist," he explained to them all, "known as 'The Demon Brothers' because of the fact that they never stop fighting."

_Five minutes later…..._

"Do you know what they wanted, Tazuna-san?" The silver haired man questioned finally, turning the page with barely a flick of his wrist.

"N-no,"

"Don't lie to me, Tazuna," Kakashi snarled, snapping his book shut with an audible 'BAM!' making even their hostages jump, startled. "You know exactly what they want. A very valuable piece of information that you have withheld. A decision which could have killed us all. Now, I want you to tell me why we should continue this mission." He turned toward the sweating man with the most pleasant smile in existence.

'Damn, I'm good,' the jōnin thought smirking inwardly.

The five other people watched in morbid anticipation as the old man looked like a cornered animal about to give up on life itself. It was quite fascinating actually.

"W-Well, Tazuna stuttered sweating more by the minute. "I-I-I…I-I mean you should b-because…"

"Yes?" Kakashi asked cheerily.

It seemed that it had just become too much for the old man for he collapsed on the ground, hyperventilating violently. Everyone else just watched in shocked as this silver haired jōnin reduced a man more than twice his age to a nervous wreck with just a few completelynon-threatening words.

'Poor Naruto,' Sakura thought pityingly, sparing a glance at the extremely pale blond who was currently shaking in his boots beside her. Even Sasuke looked sympathetic. They had a damn terrifying teacher.

Kakashi gave the cowering man a hard look before crouching down in front of him, pretending not to notice when Tazuna tried to scramble away.

"Look Tazuna-san," he stated. "We'll continue with the mission, but you must understand what danger you have us in. Other genin teams in Konoha are even more useless than mine, if you can believe it and probably would have already been killed back there. You must tell me the truth and nothing but the truth. This mission will now be treated as an A-rank and we shall be paid accordingly. We shall get into the details later."

After he said this, he straightened up and faced the criminals with a bored look.

"As for you two…Well, I'll let you go," he said to the two scared chūnin tied to the tree. "But I expect there to be a written apology from the Mizukage to the Hokage by the time we get back from our mission. Understand?"

They nodded frantically, anxious to be away from this crazy man.

No wonder he was known as one of the dangerous men in the shinobi nations.

Kakashi nodded and untied them before sparing them with one last glance then signaling that they could go, which they did without another moment's hesitation.

He sighed. "As for you Naruto…I won't punish you because it was your first real fight. Just don't freeze up again. If Sasuke and Sakura hadn't been there, you would've died. Good job you two, by the way. Anyway, let's get going! We have to be there quickly."

He briskly walked away without another glance.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Naruto breathed a clear sigh of relief.

"I thought he was going to kill me!" He exclaimed. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and Sakura laughed.

"Honestly, Naruto though, why did you freeze up?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him as Sasuke did the same. "That's not like you."

"…I needed to pee," Naruto murmured embarrassed.

It took a moment for Sakura and Sasuke to truly register what the blond had just said.

"No…" Sakura breathed in disbelief. The blond just laughed and rubbed the back of his head nervously, embarrassed.

"Dobe," Sasuke stated, whacking the blond upside the head, making Naruto wince and glare, but not seriously.

"I just can't believe it! You're such an idiot!" Sakura exclaimed laughing, and Naruto also joined in. Sasuke even let out a few chuckles and with that, the tense atmosphere dissipated immediately.

'I honestly have the most retarded students in the world,' Kakashi thought chuckling inwardly.

* * *

><p>He missed her.<p>

He missed her white hair, her cunning mind, her bright yellow eyes…He missed all of her.

Tch, how weak he was. Reduced to a mess when just her name popped up in his mind.

He was a disgrace to his clan.

Not that he didn't already know that, considering what he had done but still. Whatever happened to "Never show any emotion"? Where did that go? Well, it had worked, until he met the woman. The woman who, despite doing everything possible to stop it, he was in love with. If someone were to ask him how it happened, he wouldn't be able to say, during the one year of planning and plotting, it had just happened. How though, he did not know. And every time he saw her, rare as the occasion was, he just fell more in love. She didn't know, thank heavens and he wasn't planning on telling her either.

When he was dealing with problems in ANBU, she was there. When he was dealing with bullshit from his clan, she was there. When he was given the order from the Hokage, she was there. And when he was a vomiting and crying mess after the whole ordeal, she was there. Perhaps it was then when he realized it. When even though he was at his worst moment, she still held him close and comforted him.

Itachi wasn't really one to be sentimental, but really, she was the light in his very dark and bleak world. When he was wallowing in the pits of guilt and despair, hoping Sasuke could just get it over and done with, all he had to do was think of Luna and he would be comforted.

'Weak,' he heard his father's voice sneer in his head and he looked away from the wall he had been staring at, and looked down, his crossed legs coming into view.

Maybe so…

Maybe he was weak.

Truth be told, he was never strong anyway.

* * *

><p>"My country is being controlled by a very dangerous man named Gatō," the old man stated. "The name should be familiar."<p>

"Gatō?" Kakashi asked, acting surprised. "Of 'Gatō's trading company'?"

Tazuna nodded.

Gatō? Yes, Sakura knew the name too. Unlike her two teammates, she was well versed in the happenings of the international economy. Having an older sister like Luna did that to you. From what she knew about the man was that he was actually one of the richest men in the world, despite his cheap and tacky appearance. He had major connections in each country, considering the fact that he was the man who dealt with most shipping jobs. But what most people did not was that he was also an underground tyrant who wasn't afraid to go to extreme lengths to get what he wanted. His money and power made him dangerous. Thing was, if needed, any old Hidden Village could dispose of him without as much as a trace. Problem was, if he went under, the global economy would be greatly affected, and that was why, even though all the Kage knew of his heartless deeds, they let him be.

After all, no one wants a weak village.

Naruto and Sasuke on the other hand looked completely lost so she took it upon herself to explain when she saw that Tazuna wanted to do the same. The older man wouldn't be able to elaborate in terms Naruto would understand.

"Gatō, richest man in the world. Very valuable economic asset. Secretly an underground tyrant. Trying to take over Wave country. Understand?" She asked Naruto, who nodded frantically with a bright smile.

"Yeah! I totally understood your complicated explanation. Just shows how awesome I am! Haha! I am so going to be Hokage!"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes whilst everyone else just sweat dropped.

"Alright then. Thanks for clearing that up Sakura," Kakashi acknowledged before turning back to Tazuna nodding for him to continue the explanation which he already knew.

"Anyway, he came to our village a few years ago and immediately seized control," Tazuna elaborated, looking slightly sad. "We aren't a very rich village, even our feudal lord isn't that wealthy, and we're located so far away from everyone else that's it's hard to be influenced by others, because of that we have no shinobi. When he came with all his men, armed to the full, we couldn't really resist without being killed."

"But then why did you hire us to protect you specifically?" Naruto asked, clearly confused. "Why not hire higher ranked ninja to just take Gatō out?"

"Dobe, Sakura just told you," Sasuke explained, giving Naruto a look which clearly said "idiot". "If this guy is as valuable to the economy as she says, no village would accept the mission unless Gatō had done something to make them angry. Tazuna-san hired us to protect him because for some reason, Gatō must be targeting him."

"That'a correct," the old man said. "Gatō's targeting me because I'm building a bridge that'll connect us to the mainland. We should be able to see it soon."

Everyone lapsed into silence, looking into the thick mist for any sign of it, the only sounds being the water lapping at the boat and the rower moving the oar to a fro. Soon, a big shadow emerged, faint at first before the shape steadily getting bigger the closer they got.

"WOAH! IT'S HUGE!" Naruto shouted in awe, moving to the edge of the boat to get a better look.

"Ssh!" The rower berated, making the blond smile sheepishly, but quite down nonetheless. "Don't make too much noise. If Gatō's goons catch us, we're dead! That's why I'm not using the engine."

But indeed it was huge, and it wasn't even halfway finished yet. With gigantic pillars holding it up and descending into the deep waters.

'Tazuna must have some skilled workers if he could get those things so deep into the water,' Sakura thought impressed.

She could see how something this big could put a rift in Gatō's plans. If this connected Nami no Kuni with the mainland, there would hardly be a need for boats anymore when people could just get things across easier and much faster. If this bridge was finished, Gatō could kiss his firm hold over the country goodbye.

"I see," Sasuke stated also coming to the right conclusion.

Tazuna nodded, not bothering to keep the smug smile of his face before turning back to Kakashi.

"So you see, if I die, Wave will never be a free country again. But don't worry. You guys can just drop me off at the shore where I'll be killed immediately. It's fine though. Not like anyone will cry for me…Except my daughter and my little grandson who'll cry 'Grandpa! Grandpa!' and grow up to hate the village of Konoha with a vengeance that rivals even the fiery pits of hell. Not to worry though." Tazuna added at the end, seeing the guilt stricken faces of the Genin.

Kakashi listened heartless as he was though didn't even seem moved one bit.

"Fine then," Kakashi stated, his voice offering no compromises. "We'll continue the mission as stated like before. But I don't care how poor your country is, we'll all be getting paid for an A-class mission."

'Meh, I guess you can't have everything,' Tazuna thought sulkily

"Everyone quiet, we're almost there." The boat master said just as they entered a very dimly lit tunnel with a barely visible light at the end.

The three genin held their breath in anticipation clearly anxious to see what Wave country looked like. Slowly but surely, the light grew increasingly bigger until it grew so bright that they had to block their eyes from the luminous rays.

"Finally," Tazuna's happy voice sounded happily next to them and they opened their eyes to a sight they had never seen.

Minus the silver haired jōnin of course.

"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed, shocked. He had never seen anything like it!

The whole village was built on water! And it was quite big too! Not even a quarter big as Konoha but still big nonetheless.

Sakura observed all the foreign views around her, also very interested in her new surroundings. There were many tall and weird looking plants jutting out the water and all the buildings had straw roofs. It was cute, she supposed. But really made her suspicious was the fact that there was not one soul roaming around.

They reached the empty dock, with only a few boats floating on the water, not a fisherman on one of them either. It was eerie to say the least, and the pink haired girl pitied the villagers, so scared they were that they didn't even roam their own streets.

"This is as far as I go," the boat man said to them as they got off the wooden vehicle.

"Thanks a lot.," Tazuna said, handing the man a few bills. "You risked a lot."

The man nodded before pulling the chain to start the engine and streaming away from them.

"Ah!" Tazuna exclaimed, clearly elated. "Feels good to be back. Now take me home guys!" Sakura just shook her head before walking along with her two teammates.

"Sakura," Sasuke said holding her back and waiting for the others to move a distance away. They had only been walking for fifteen minutes with nothing out of the ordinary, so what did he have to talk to her about.

"It's too quiet, don't you think?" He asked, looking straight into her emerald eyes.

Actually, now that she paused to listed, it was too quiet. How could she not have noticed? The birds weren't even chirping!

"There!" Naruto shouted, startling everyone by launching a kunai into the bushes suddenly.

Everyone watched tense, but slowly relaxed when nothing happened, prompting Naruto to look sheepish.

"Naruto! Don't be stupid! Stop giving us all a heart attack!" Sakura exclaimed angrily at the blond.

"He's beyond help," she also heard Sasuke mutter whilst shaking his head.

They all calmed their heart rates before continuing on their route.

"Hyah!" Naruto shouted, launching another kunai into a bush.

"Please use your weapons sparingly," Kakashi said, but he looked up from his book when they all heard a scared "Meep!" sound from the direction the kunai had gone.

'The hell?' Sakura thought surprised.

When they went to investigate, all they saw was a terrified little bunny looking as if it had just seen its life flash before its eyes.

'It probably had,' the pink haired girl thought looking at where the metal weapon was lodged just between its ears.

"Hah! I knew there was something there!" Naruto exclaimed triumphantly, only to receive a smack on his head from his emerald eyed teammate.

"Imbecile," Sakura reprimanded. "Look at what you did to that poor little bunny! You couldv-Wait a minute…Why is it white?"

Naruto completely ignored her and started apologizing and hugging the little terrified animal. Sasuke, Tazuna and Kakashi all paid attention.

"Rabbits are only white in the winter. Buts it's clearly summer here. Someone must have raised it in cold conditions and let it ou-"

"Everyone duck!" Kakashi called out and no one hesitated, doing as told without question.

And just above them sounded a loud "SWISH!" followed by a "THUMP!" and they all looked up to see a huge sword buried in a tree, with a man standing on its blade.

'Ha! Sword my foot! More like giant meat cleaver!' Sakura thought derisively.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback:<em>

_"Gaara-kun. Is it true you've never tasted ice-cream?" A little pink haired girl asked, walking down the hot streets of Suna now fully changed and feeling fresh again._

_The red haired boy on her side shyly shook his head, feeling slightly embarrassed, for he had a feeling that it wasn't normal for a young child his age to have never had Ice cream._

_"Oh! Yep! I know how you feel! Even I hadn't tasted until maybe three months ago! But I know that you'll like it! Right Onee-chan?" The emerald eyed girl asked, looking up to her older sister who was smiling amusedly._

_"Yes Sakura," Luna said, her long white hair blowing with the light breeze. "I'm sure Gaara-kun will love it. We are almost there, and I'll buy you guys all the ice cream you want, alright?"_

_"Yes please! I can't wait!" Sakura exclaimed happily, pouncing on the unsuspecting Gaara, who seemed absolutely terrified of the pink haired terror, prompting Luna to laugh._

_Five minutes later, they were standing in front of one of the only relatively cheerful looking buildings in the village, and Gaara had to cringe at all the bright colors and noise the children were making, not to mention the overly sweet smell which immediately invaded his sensitive senses._

_They entered, but most took no notice of him, thank goodness, for it was a very hot and busy day, and most parents were just concentrating on calming their children down to take notice of anything else._

_"Good afternoon and welcome to our establishment. What can we get you today?" A surprisingly cheerful woman asked behind a counter._

_"Two mint chocolates please," the oldest of them ordered, "and one plain vanilla for me, three scoops for each. Wafer cones please." The lady nodded, before quickly jutting it into the machine._

_"That will be fifteen," she told them before getting the spoon out from the water and starting with the first cone._

_Gaara watched curiously as the weird looking food was scooped up into a ball courtesy of the spoon and put in the cone, tucked deep inside it. It was interesting, as her didn't even know that it existed until today really, and Luna-chan was nice enough to treat him to it._

_Then the woman handed it to Luna, who then passed it on to him._

_But all he did was stare at it._

_Soon the white haired and pink haired girls were given theirs too, and they were now walking outside._

_His two companions were happily eating their own sweet treat but stopped, when the noticed that the red head hadn't even touched his._

_"Gaara-kun? Do you not like it?" Luna asked him, worried._

_But Gaara shook his head, signaling that was not the problem. Then hesitantly, as if his voice didn't even want to come out he asked._

_"H-how do you eat this?" The two girls were so shocked that all they could do was stare at him in surprise for a while._

_"Well, you just have to lick it! Like this!" Sakura exclaimed then proceeding to demonstrate. He watched as her small pink tongue did just that, and then, he went back to staring at his treat._

_It was melting._

_"Go on." Luna prompted gently and slowly, he experimentally tasted it._

_It was as if heaven itself had graced his mouth._

_Not even three seconds later, the whole thing was gone and he was heading back in the direction of the store._

_"I want more," he declared._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Here it is people! The tenth chapter! I hope you all like it. I personally hated it. Especially the Demon Brothers scene. Give me your opinions please. <strong>_

_**Also, my Beta warned me about being careful about Luna being a Mary-Sue. And she's right when you think about it. If Luna IS a Mary-Sue, please warn me so I can make her better. **_

_**For those of you who wanted ItaLuna, well there's a little glimpse of it! BUT! That does not mean it will be the final outcome.**_

_**Next chapter, The fight with Zabuza! Yeah! Not. **_

_**Thanks for the reviews guys! So far this story has twenty three! How bout we aim for thirty with this chapter! I know you guys can do it!**_

_**Thanks to my awesome Beta who is always there for me!**_

_**Lots of Love,**_

_**Bluetopianprincess^o^ **  
><em>


	11. Chapter 11

**_REVIEW...REVIEW...REVIEW...\(^ O^)/_**

* * *

><p>'Ha!' Sakura thought derisively. 'Sword my foot! More like giant meat cleaver!'<p>

Sakura looked up to see a strange grey man standing on the piece of metal that just almost took off her head and recognized him immediately.

'Momochi Zabuza,' she thought, eyes narrowing. This man was dangerous. So dangerous that even her sister wouldn't be able to defeat him easily.

They didn't stand a chance.

Helping Tazuna up, she halfheartedly listened to her sensei's introduction but instead thought of a plan that would help. Kakashi must have been strong if he was a jōnin, but her and her teammates, including Tazuna-san would just get in his way if he had to fight for Zabuza's defeat and try and protect them all. From the corner of her eye, she saw her blond teammate about to rush forward but the pink haired girl knocked him down harshly, glaring at him for his stupidity.

"Don't be an idiot right now, Naruto," she said to him seriously. "Do you honestly think you of all people could take on someone of Kaka-sensei's level?"

The blond looked properly chastised and she turned back to Kakashi and Zabuza, slightly surprised when she saw that the silver haired man's headband was up. She couldn't really see much because he was facing forward, but she had a feeling at the back of her mind that she knew what he hid on a daily basis.

"-Copy Ninja Kakashi," she caught. Wait, what? Copy Ninja? She knew that name! How could she not! It was in every single Bingo Book her sister had made her memorize! The guy had a bounty of over two hundred million ryō on his head and was rumored to be able to take on even the Raikage and survive!

Hold up! Did that mean that her sensei, the lazy, mean and sarcastic jackass that he was, was actually one of the most famous shinobi in the world?!

'Well, put me in a dress and call me Mei,' Sakura thought, shocked beyond belief. 'I'll be damned!'

That would mean that Kakashi was actually hiding the Sharingan all this time! She was such a fool! How could she not have remembered the tell-tail flyaway hair even if he was in his ANBU attire in the photo?

Stupid, that was what she was.

"Don't worry," Kakashi declared reassuringly, as if he could read her minds. "I'll protect you all with my life!"

"Enough talk," Zabuza stated impaitently. "Now we fight." He was irritated for the fight to end, and with a force which amazed even Sasuke, he hefted up Kubikiribōchō his shoulder quite easily.

Yes, enough talk, it was time to act.

"Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!" Sakura called out, slamming her gloved palms to the ground, and after a bit of rumbling that drew everyone's attention, a large defensive earth wall appeared in front of the four, blocking their view of the fight.

"Good thinking Sakura," they heard Kakashi's voice sound from the other side. "You guys should stay out of this."

"Where did you learn this?" Sasuke asked, sounding a tad bit envious.

"That doesn't matter right now," Sakura instructed in a serious voice. "I have a feeling that with two legendary ninja fighting, it's going to be rough. This wall isn't perfect and I'm sure that someone like Zabuza could destroy it without much effort, but it'll protect us from most attacks and debris. Just please be on your guard. Tazuna-san, it would be much easier for us if you sat down since you're taller than us."

The old man listened and Team 7 got into a defensive stance. Sakura had allowed a small hole when forming the wall so they could see what was going on, and at the moment, it was very intense.

The pink haired girl would have preferred it if she could have done the Doryūheki again but she didn't have the chakra for that. Well technically she did; her reserves weren't even halfway that, but who knows what could happen. She would rather conserve it, thank you very much.

"Looks like I'll have to deal with you first, Kakashi," Zabuza proclaimed before disappearing, much to the surprise of the group behind the wall and reappearing on the lake, one arm up with two fingers straight in front of his mouth as if he was creating some type of seal.

They watched as the air around them suddenly became thinner and the temperature descend rapidly.

"He's gathering a high-concentration of chakra at high-speed!" Sakura exclaimed worried. "He's preparing for a very powerful jutsu!"

"Kirigakure no Jutsu!" He called out before disappearing, leaving only a single leaf to fall onto the water.

Everyone watched surprised as the area suddenly became engulfed by a thick mist so heavy that one couldn't even see five feet ahead.

"This mist is getting thicker and thicker!" Naruto declared, pointing out the obvious.

"Nami no Kuni is surrounded by the ocean," Tazuna explained seriously, "and because of that, we're often subjected to such types of weather."

"No, that's not it," Sasuke corrected bluntly. "This mist isn't natural. It's chakra-generated."

"Kaka-sensei disappeared," the pink haired girl remarked, prompting everyone else to grow silent in apprehension.

"It's fine," Sasuke said trying to still remain calm. "Obviously he knows what he's doing."

It was silent awhile, everyone looking around and shifting nervously, not once dropping their guard.

Sakura had to wonder what they had gotten themselves in when the accepted to continue the mission. It wasn't that she wanted to quit, oh no, but this wasn't her first life or death situation (she had experienced tons of those) but the thing was, was her team really ready for this type of thing? Luna had warned her that missions could change in a spilt second but she had never really contemplated the dangers of a sudden change of plans.

The atmosphere was tense, and it seemed the silence would engulf them all but what she heard next made her wish that the silence never ended in the first place.

"Eight Points," an ominous voice cut through the stillness, startling everyone around her. "Larynx, Spine, Lungs, Liver, Jugular, Subclavian Artery, Kidneys, Heart…Hmm…so many choices. But which one should I choose…?"

'Yep,' she thought smirking despite herself. 'We're in some deep shit now.'

"W-what's he talking about?" Naruto asked nervously.

They were silent for a while, the blonds bright blue eyes looking at them anxiously before his black haired team mate turned his hard onyx eyes to him, staring him straight in the eyes.

"He's deciding where he wants to land the final and fatal strike," the Uchiha spat out as if he was utterly disgusted with how weak the human body actually was. "If he gets you in any of those places, you're dead in less time than it takes you to blink."

Naruto blinked, before widening eyes comically. He finally understood what was at stake when he decided to become a ninja. Kakashi was right, it really wasn't all fun and games.

Because one little mistake, could cost him his life.

It was a while, but eventually the mist started to clear up again, and the saw Kakashi sstanding there with his hand in some type of seal which they could not recognize.

"Can you feel that bloodlust?" Asked Sasuke, shaking slightly. "It's so prominent that it makes you want to take your own life." Sasuke breathed, already turning his kunai in on himself.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried, worried about her teammate. "Calm down!"

Yes, she could feel the bloodlust, and she too was terrified but she was doing her best to hold it in. She knew from the bottom of her heart that Kakashi would protect them with his life.

Suddenly, before anyone could react, Zabuza had appeared in front of her wall eye peering in menacingly then BAM! The whole thing was destroyed by his sword, leaving only a little under half of it left.

"What the-?!" Naruto exclaimed shocked, stumbling back in surprise but before anybody could do anything further, Kakashi had intercepted him, kunai in the demon's stomach.

They expected to see blood but instead they were greeted with the sight of water dripping down and a smirking Zabuza in front of them.

"A water clone! But then, where's the real Zabuz-" but the as if to answer her question, another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi as soon as the water clone fell to the ground destroyed.

"DIE!" The bandaged man shouted slicing Kakashi in half with his blade.

"Sensei!" Naruto cried only to see their teacher fall to the floor in a puddle. Actually, Sakura was pretty surprised. She half expected him to pull another Kawarimi on them

'He must've copied it with the Sharingan earlier,' Sakura thought to herself, more than impressed with her lazy teacher. 'Kaka-sensei is amazing! Even in this thick mist he can still do it!'

Looking to her right, she saw that even Sasuke was surprised. No surprise there, anyway.

'How?' Zabuza thought, taken aback. 'When the hell did he even have time to copy my jutsu?! I created this thick mist so that he couldn't see anything! Is the Sharingan that clear?'

It was surprising though, the mist was now so thick that no one could even see past their noses. Suddenly, Zabuza felt a sharper knife to his neck and froze, not moving an inch.

"It's over," Kakashi's menacing voice rang out.

"Yeah!" Naruto shouted happily, fist pumping in the air. "You rock Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura and Sasuke on the other hand took the time to actually think. Kakashi was good, but not that good and Sakura doubted that even he could end a fight with the Demon of the Mist so fast.

Something wasn't right…

Then suddenly Zabuza started laughing. A deep bone chilling laugh which made shivers run through the spectators' bodies.

'I knew it!' Sakura thought to herself. Clearly Zabuza was much stronger than he seemed.

"Do you really think it would be that easy to take me down?" Zabuza exclaimed, still laughing loudly then shocking everyone. "Why, you underestimate me! But good job, really! At one point you even managed to get me to take you seriously!"

He turned around and stabbed Kakashi right in the heart, yet once more, the silver haired jōnin turned to water.

"Yes, you really are the Copy Ninja as they say!" Zabuza declared before he quickly picked up his broad sword and swung it at the jōnin who ducked, making the sword fly right over him and landing buried in the ground.

Before he even had time to recover though, The swordsman leaned back for support and launched a fierce kick at his opponent, who back flipped a few times before landing on the water. Zabuza wasted no time, wrenching out his sword and following after the plotting ninja, but he came to an abrupt stop when he was almost skewered by a group of spikes that suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Hah! You thought you could get me with Makibishi Spikes?!" The grey man shouted, now getting angry at his opponents underestimation of his skills. "Who do you think I am?!"

Kakashi remained silent and instead tried taking a step forward, only to find that the water was dense and heavy.

'That's odd…' he thought, lifting his foot with great difficulty.

Then it all happened so fast that none of the genin could keep up.

Zabuza moved onto the lake in a flash, hands already moving quickly for the required handsigns. "Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu!" He called out and Kakashi's eye widened, understanding the rogue-nin's plan.

"Bad idea coming to the water," he mumbled just before he was encased by a big round ball of water.

Sakura and the others watched in horror from the sidelines, wondering what they were to do and if they were ever to live and see another day.

'What are we going to do?!' Sasuke thought panicking inwardly. 'It's us next!'

"Ha!" Zabuza boasted arrogantly, smirking so widely that you could see the outline of his teeth underneath the cloth. "Seems like you're not so great after all, huh?! I'll finish you off later. First though, I need to get rid of these brats of yours." He formed a seal with his other hand.

Everyone watched in fear as a clone rose up from a puddle of water, looking extremely menacing.

'One hand!' Naruto thought surprised. The blond had never seen anything like it. This Zabuza dude, whoever he was, was actually pretty cool! If you took away the fact that he was trying to kill them.

Sakura on the other hand was just wondering what the hell they were going to do. Well, it was obvious what they needed to do, question was, how would they do it. Momochi Zabuza was no push over, that was for sure, and she was sure that a couple of basic plans wouldn't even get him to lift a finger with effort. But if they didn't at least try then they would all be dead, like Sasuke said, in less time than it took to blink.

Honestly, what did they sign up for?

"Tch, you guys are a disgrace," she heard the man in question scoff, sounding more than repulsed. "You call yourselves ninja? In my day, you would even last three seconds!" The clone declared before disappearing and then suddenly appearing in front of them, kicking Naruto with enough force to send him flying many feet away.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, worried for her teammate.

But there was no time to ponder about his well being. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a fist flying towards her face. Sakura used a speed she didn't even know she possessed and quickly jumped out of the way, because surely that would most probably knock her head off and send it flying all the way back to Konoha with the speed the fist was travelling at.

What she did next was completely stupid and retarded, and if it did not work, could result in all their deaths. Her sister had told her not to use it unless it was extremely necessary because she did had not fully mastered it, and if she performed it wrong, well, they would all be crushed. But it would buy them some time to think of a plan whilst Zabuza was trying to escape from it. Not that it would hold long.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed her blond teammate shakily getting up and her black eyed teammate was also plotting something in his head. Yes, it would work. Hopefully, anyway. She would take her opportunity now when the clone was distracted or else she wouldn't get another chance.

"Doton: Retsudo Tenshō," the pink haired girl whispered.

Everyone was surprised when the ground suddenly decided to break and spiral on itself, and Zabuza, who didn't expect the girl to know such a jutsu, was left vulnerable to the technique, but not completely.

"Shit!" The clone and its owner cried at the same time as the watched the fake Zabuza fall inside the whole and be crushed, water flowing out the cracks.

Sakura allowed a self satisfied smirk momentarily grace her face before quickly grabbing Sasuke and Tazuna and rushing to their now fully conscious teammate.

"I have a plan!" She and Sasuke exclaimed at the same time.

* * *

><p>Kimimaro wasn't exactly sure whether or not his caretaker was in the right mind at the moment. Watching her set paper after paper on fire with a sadistic grin on her face made one wonder if the white haired girl was sane. It had been going on for some time now too. Two days actually, if he remembered correctly. Not that he actually ever forgot anything.<p>

All he knew was that it had started with a very suspicious looking letter.

"Well pardon me Mei, if I do not want to go to your inauguration after you literally stabbed me in the stomach not even two weeks ago and left me to die! That is the third time you try and plan my demise. Yes, I know that I may have tried to kill you a few times, but that does not mean you have to do the same!"

The white haired boy raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch, hinting at how surprised he actually was to hear this news.

Yes, he was aware of Luna's and Mei's differences, but he had only found out later because the day they had found him in mist, they had put aside their heated rivalry for a short period of time. Maybe that was why Lu-chan had come home with a giant hole in her stomach the other day. Yes, the yellow eyed girl was angry but only for a few days, so Kimimaro thought nothing of it.

But it had started again when one of the servants brought her an official looking scroll on Tuesday. Which was as he had stated before, exactly two days ago. And to make things worse, perhaps for Terumī Mei's own amusement even, the same document kept being given to Luna almost every hour! And since the servants were such thorough workers, they never rejected an official looking document, no matter how many times it came in.

Personally, Kimimaro wasn't used to this servants' thing anyway. Yes, when he was still with his clan he had them, or more like acted like one, so he didn't have much experience. He had seen how his father was waited on left right and center though. Luna it seemed didn't like them much either, despite her social status judging by the one time his guardian had almost attacked a maid who had quietly entered her bedroom to do the bed.

From that day on, no worker could even look at her without being glared at.

She even ranted about she couldn't even "take a crap without being waited on". Her words, not his, surprising as it sounded.

Either, they wouldn't be staying for much longer. They had only made a pit stop of one of her family's many holiday homes.

"Kimimaro," Luna spat out. "I have a mission for you."

Never mind, maybe they would be here for more time than necessary.

"Go find me Kenji," Luna instructed firmly. "I'm sure he'll be more than a satisfactory replacement. You gentlemen will both return here together when you find him. Also, when you arrive, make sure to give this report to Nii-sama. He will be curious about our doings and whereabouts. Do not tell him about the situation or he will refuse. You leave now."

And Kimimaro could only spare his Lu-chan one last worried glance before nodding his head in understanding and standing up from his place on her right hand.

He just hoped that his Lu-chan wouldn't burn down the manor before he arrived back. Kami knew that she was thinking it.

* * *

><p>It was time. And hopefully, it would work out.<p>

Vaguely, Sakura wondered if Kakashi was still alive or if he had drowned in there, because he sure was being silent. She and her team didn't have much time to plan, if one could call less than five minutes a long time and they had left Tazuna with a Naruto clone to protect him. Now it was time to commense with the plan.

"Well, well, not bad, Pinky," the real Zabuza said, creating another clone, no different from the last. "Not bad at all. It seems you have some serious potential."

"Pinky?" Sakura shouted in frustration. "Why does everyone call me that?! Ugh!"

"Sakura, now is not the time to be caring about some stupid nickname," Sasuke told her blunty to which she glared at him. "Your hair is pink. Deal with it."

"Shut up temē," Naruto shot, trying to defend Sakura's 'honor' as he called it. "No one wanted to hear your opinion anyway."

"Yeah, well, I gave it anyway," Sasuke retorted hotly, making Sakura grow red with fury. "She needed a reality check if she's too stupid enough not to see that her hair is pink."

"Hey! Who are you calling stupid, you jackass!?" Sakura screamed. "I'm not the one with the chicken ass shaped hair. Actually, maybe I'll start calling you 'Sasgay'! Who knows how much time you spend on your 'glossy tresses' that every girl in the academy would fawn over!"

Sasuke was also getting mad now. They needed to concentrate on the plan!

"HAHA!" Naruto said, laughing and wiping a tear away. "Good one Sakura-chan! Sasgay! Haha! Why didn't I think of that?"

The Uchiha in question immediately rounded on him.

"Because you're too retarded to spell your own name, dobe," the onyx eyed boy sneered angrily.

"Hey, that was one time, temē!" Naruto shouted, shaking his fist at the other boy.

"M-maybe you guys should calm down," Tazuna said, trying to get them to remember that yes, they were still in a life or death situation.

"Oh, don't mind me," the masked enemy snorted, watching them all in amusement. "I find this quite entertaining, actually!"

"Dobe," Sasuke jeered tauntingly.

"Temē," Naruto shot back, getting more angry by the minute when looking at Sasuke's cool and composed face.

"Dobe,"

"Temē!" Naruto retorted with increasing volume.

"Dobe,"

"Guys, actually, you should calm down-"

"TEMĒ!" Naruto shouted angrily before launching such an unexpected punch at his black haired teammate that the Uchiha could not react, and was launched several feat backwords.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed, running to help her currently dazed teammate up.

"Well, that was unexpected," Zabuza said laughing

"Ha!" The blond haired boy shouted. "You think you're so tough! Well, you've got another thing coming! I'LL OPEN A CAN OF WHOOP-ASS ON YOU! TAJŪ KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" He summoned around fifty clones around him.

"Naruto, don't be an idiot!" Sakura exclaimed, slapping her forehead in exasperation.

What ever happened to the plan? Stick to the plan!

They watched in horror as in one fell swoop, all clones were wiped out with the meat cleaver and Naruto was also thrown backwards by it. That didn't stop him though, for he just got right up again and quickly pulled something out his backpack.

"Sasuke!' Naruto shouted across before throwing the object. "Catch!"

The black haired boy quickly snapped back into action and jumped high into the air to catch it. Then, not wasting a moments time, he threw it as hard as he could.

"Kagemane Shuriken no Jutsu!" He called out but Zabuza did not hear it. To everyones surprise, the windmill shuriken curved around the Zabuza clone, and headed toward the real Demon of the Mist.

"Very good," Zabuza stated, cathching the weapon in his hand. "You decided to neglect the clone and approach me directly. But shuriken won't take me down."

But once more, he was in for another surprise, because another shuriken appeared under that one, shocking Zabuza slightly.

"Oh?" He asked, jumping over it swiftly. "But it still didn't connect!" The grey man laughed arrogantly.

"Who said anything about it connec-" but the Naruto clone which was previously a shuriken was interrupted by a loud "SPLASH!". They all looked his way to see a shower of rain falling down and a dripping wet Kakashi standing right under it.

"Thanks for that, guys," Kakashi said seriously. "You really bought me some time to escape. But now it's time for me to finish him off."

'What?' Sakura thought confused. How could he have escaped? Zabuza claimed it was a hard as steel!

All that effort, for nothing!

"W-what?!" Zabuza asked, flabbergasted and surprised. "How the hell did you escape?" No one had ever, ever escaped from that water prison alive!

'Of course the first just had to be the damn Copy Ninja,' the grey man thought derisively.

"Thanks for almost killing my students, by the way," Kakashi said gratefully, making Zabuza stare at him like he was crazy. "Saves me the time of having to give them a reality check myself.

"Anyway, let's wrap this up, shall we?" The silver haired jōnin asked pleasantly and then he ran at Zabuza, kunai in hand but the missing-nin blocked with his sword.

Then, to the groups surprise, both shinobi jumped away at the exact same moment and land on the water in the exact same position, hands making the same seals at precisely the right moment. It was like they were synched or something.

"What the hell?" The three heard Naruto ask confused.

"Tori!" Both shinobi ended together, before two twin water dragons rose up together

'How is he doing that?' Zabuza thought inwardly. 'Is there more to the Sharingan than we knew?' He panicked slightly when once more, Kakashi blocked his move as if he already knew it was going to happen.

Unknown to them all, a presence is secretly watching them, hidden in the shadows.

"It makes you furious, doesn't it?" Kakashi asked Zabuza, now finally finishing his warm up and getting serious. But he still didn't feel like he had stretched his muscles sufficiently. 'Oh well,' he thought, inwardly shrugging.

"You're just a second rate copycat!" Zabuza shouted, clearly nervous judging from his reaction. "All you know how to do is copy someone else's moves and use them as your own! You're like a damn circus monkey! I won't lose to someone like you! I'll crush you!" And then the rogue-nin started doing a fast series of hand seals. "…Saru, Mi…what?" He stopped in the middle of the combination, chakra receding immediately.

Was that him? No, it was just a shadow! Then it must have been an illusion…but he was still worr-

"Suiton: Daibakufu no jutsu!" Kakashi called, finishing his own set of lightning fast seals and before anyone could do anything, a large wave of spiraling water came upon them.

"Ah!" Naruto and the others exclaimed, trying and failing to remain upright from the onslaught of water.

"WHAT?!" Zabuza shouted, clearly shaken up and confused. "HOW?! I WAS JUST ABOUT TO DO THE SAME JUTSU BUT HE BEAT ME TO IT!"

"You're finished," Kakashi stated, appearing before where the missing-nin was washed up against a tree.

"How?" Zabuza asked, wanting to at least know the answer before he died. "Can you see the future?"

"Yes," the jōnin sensei declared. "And your future is death."

However, not even two seconds later, three senbon needles flew out the trees and hit Zabuza's neck, killing him instantly.

'What now?' Sakura asked rolling her eyes.

"Heh, you're right," a new voice remarked, appearing in the tree above them. "His future was death."

"Judging from your mask, you are a hunter-nin for Kiri, no?" Kakashi asked the stranger.

The newcomer nodded. "Yes, and you have done me a great favor. I've been tracking this man for a long time now, waiting for the right moment to kill him. I thank you."

Kakashi nodded before walking forward, placing two fingers on the dead man's neck, confirming that yes indeed, he was dead. He looked up again, and the stranger disappeared in a swirl of leaves, appearing again behind the body.

"Thank you once more," the masked stranger said. "Now I must go and dispose of the body."

Before anyone could do anything about it, he was gone, not even leaving a single hair to indicate his presence. It was silent for a while, Kakashi adjusting his headband before a shocked exclamation broke the silence.

"What the hell?!" Naruto shouted in question. "Who was that guy?!"

"That guy was a hunter-nin," Sakura replied tiredly. "His job is to hunt down criminals and kill them before any secrets of their village can be revealed."

Still, the blond did not look satisfied.

"But he took down Zabuza so fast that we didn't even see what happened clearly, and he doesn't look that much older than us!" Naruto cried angrily. "What were we doing, playing?!"

"Well I was, I don't know about you guys," Kakashi snorted out. "But anyway, Naruto get used to it. There are many more stronger guys out there.

"So!" Kakashi proposed, the only cheerful one in the whole group. "How 'bout we get back on the road right?"

'I'm just glad we're still alive,' Sakura thought, trudging on exhaustedly.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hey!<em>**

**_Quick note._**

**_Not much to say! I put in some Kimimora and Luna action for ya all! Hope you enjoyed that! _**

**_I better be geting many reviews for this chappie hey! I spent so much time doing research and note taking! I also hope you liked the fight! _**

**_Yeah, thats it!_**

**_Thanks to my two reviewers! _**

**_Lots of love,_**

**_Bluetopianprincess^o^_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_REVIEW! _**

* * *

><p>It was morning now, the birds were chirping, and Sakura could see the bright rays of the sun streaming in from the window. Looking to her left, she saw that her blond haired teammate was still fast asleep, snoring away and limbs tangled up within the comfortable futon. Actually, she noticed, he had one arm sprawled over her stomach, the tips of his fingers almost touching Sasuke, who was still asleep, albeit more peacefully and composed, on her right. She couldn't help but smile when she took in their position drowsily. She was spooned up inside her black haired teammate, his subtle breaths tickling her now undone pink hair and her blue eyed companion was using her as a pillow. Just went to show how close they had become. But alas, she could not spend the rest of the morning as comfortable as she was now. She was surprised that Kakashi had even let them sleep this long. Perhaps he had taken pity and let them sleep in? Nah, must've been something else.<p>

They had arrived at Tazuna house the previous night, tired and hungry beyond belief. They had met his daughter, Tsunami(Sakura didn't understand why he would name her after a natural disaster of mass destruction when they were literally surrounded by the ocean) and the team was subjected to a very grand supper, which disappeared in a matter of minutes, proof enough of how much they were dying of starvation. Then they were escorted to their rooms and not wasting one moment, all hit the sack.

But curiously, they had not met this elusive grandson of the bridge builder's

The pink haired girl gently removed Naruto's arm from her middle and shifted slowly away from her Uchiha named teammate, trying not to wake them up. Much good that did.

"Sakura," Sasuke stated, arm snapping out to catch her hand and the emerald eyed genin had to cringe. Of course, he just had to be a light sleeper.

"Good morning Sasuke!" She chirped happily, watching him sit up and groggily rub his eyes.

He looked so cute doing that, like a little cat even, with all his feline grace and shockingly, even if his hair was still a tad bit messed up, his ever present duck butt was still there, standing up proudly.

"What time is it?" He asked, still trying to awaken himself. It was funny though, because when they were camping out on the trip, as soon as he awoke, he was extremely attentive and quick.

'Maybe it's because he's not in danger?' She asked herself, still watching the black eyed boy.

"I don't know, 'ey," she said, shifting into a more comfortable sitting position. "Judging by the sun, it must be around nine. Did you sleep well?"

"Hn, what do you think Kakashi will make us do today?" He asked her, he too shifting and crossing his legs.

He had really nice feet, the soles quite pale and extremely clean, despite the fact that he wore ninja sandals. It wasn't fair how perfect Uchiha were.

"Train, most probably," the pink haired girl said, propping her elbow on her knee and leaning on her opened palm. "I have a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach though, but I don't know why."

"Hn, I thought I was the only one," Sasuke declared confidently, straight to the point like always. "I think Zabuza might still be alive."

Sakura remained silent, pondering over what he said, him watching her patiently all the while. She didn't care if her hair looked like a birds nest or that she looked horrible, their time in the desert had made him see much more.

"Hmm, and why do you think so?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, interested to hear his own theory. The prodigy was silent for a minute, gathering his thoughts and she let him. It was only fair.

"Think about it," Sasuke said to her. "That hunter-nin appeared out of nowhere and hit him with a couple of senbon in the neck." She smirked, planning on making him think she thought him wrong.

"Exactly, Sasuke," she said, looking at him expectantly. "The hunter-nin got him in the neck, and then Kakashi confirmed that his pulse had stopped, meaning his was dead. What makes you think even Zabuza could survive that?" He smirked back at her, clearly aware of what she was doing.

"You remember the lesson we had on hunter-nin at the academy," he spoke, offhandedly brushing off some dust from his shorts. "Hunter-nin are trained to know every single inch of the human body. Faking a death and putting someone in a temporary state of death should be child's play. And, to further my point, he took away the body stating he needed to destroy it. Does that make sense?"

"Hunter-nin always burn the body on sight…" Sakura drawled on, smirking along with him now full force. "Sasuke, you arrogant genius, you."

Sasuke looked smug, his already gigantic ego having been boosted.

"We have to tell Kakashi-sensei," Sakura declared.

"And who said I didn't already know?" A lazy voice asked and both genin were startled to see their jackass of a sensei slothfully lounging on the window sill, reading his orange pocket book.

"Sensei!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise, not expecting him.

"Good morning Sakura, Sasuke," their teacher acknowledged, snapping his book shut and dropping into the room soundlessly. He walked towards them slowly; taking his time before pausing to look at Naruto like one would look at that old lady who couldn't make up her mind in the grocery store.

"He's still sleeping…" he remarked inattentively, pointing out the obvious.

'No duh,' Sasuke thought, inwardly rolling his eyes.

They watched in silence as their teacher continued to stare blankly at their blond haired teammate, as if that alone would wake him up. But to no avail, for the Uzumaki just yawned and rolled over, arms outstretched in front of him.

"Oi," Kakashi said finally. "Rise and shine, Naruto!" He kicked the blond in the side so hard that Naruto flew a few feet, hitting the wall and falling into a crumpled heap in the corner, clutching his ribs.

"HEY!" He screamed indignantly, making so much noise that Sakura was sure the whole house could hear. "WHY'D YOU DO THAT?!"

"Maa, maa…You need to learn to let go of the past Naruto," Kakashi said, brushing him off nonchalantly.

Yes…their teacher was an asshole.

"Onto the present now. Yes, I do know that Zabuza is alive-"

"What?! That dude's still alive?!" Naruto shrieked confused, interrupting his sensei.

"I felt his pulse, faint as it was," The jōnin continued, as if he hadn't heard the blond's outburst at all.

He had felt his pulse? Well then why hadn't he killed him when he had the chance? It didn't make sense to Sakura, nor to Sasuke.

"Why didn't you end it then?" Sasuke asked, voicing both all their thoughts.

"I guess I have my reasons," their teacher drawled, scratching his forehead protector, probably forgetting that it was there in the first place.

"You 'guess'?" Sakura asked looking at him like he was crazy.

"Don't dwell on the details, UD number 2," the silver haired pervert declared, making the pink haired girl huff angrily. "Anyway, it should take about a week for him to recover, give or take, so who can guess what we'll be doing during that time?"

"Training," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Well, you don't seem very enthusiastic about it…" their teacher pouted.

'Not after you dumped us in the desert for two months,' Naruto thought derisively.

"Anyway, let's waste no more time," he clapped his hands, demanding progress. "We'll eat breakfast then get started."

"Oh, we thought we heard your voices," A kind voice said peering into the room before opening it completely, revealing the bridge builder and his daughter.

"Good morning,""Tsunami informed staying at the door politely. "We just wanted to check on you and tell you that breakfast is ready."

Her father on the other hand just swaggered into the room confidently and headed for Kakashi, slapping him heartily on the back and guffawing loudly, for what reason, no one knew.

"Ahaha!" He exclaimed, bright and cheery. "Good job on bringing me home in one piece! It seems that your team isn't as useless as they seem!" Kakashi just looked at him blankly, with an aura which said "Don't touch me".

Maybe he had something about personal contact.

"Tazuna-san, you aren't that safe yet," Sakura told him somberly, drawing both he and his daughter's attention.

"W-what?" The woman in the hall asked scared. "What do you mean?"

They were silent for a while, thinking of the best way to break the news to the old man and his offspring.

"Zabuza is still alive," Kakashi stated bluntly, ignoring the shocked gasps from the two civilians.

"B-but I saw that weird kid kill him!" Tazuna exclaimed, sweat rolling down his neck from anxiety. "You even checked his pulse!"

"Yes, there is a technique those experienced in medicine use," the jōnin elaborated, looking seriously at the bridge builder. "They can temporarily slow the heartbeat into an almost deathlike state."

The two wave inhabitants were silent, thinking it over and no one knew anything appropriate to say.

"Will he come back?" Tsunami asked fearfully, looking distraught.

"Yes," the copy ninja stated coolly confident. "But he needs to recover first. It'll take a little under seven days. That time will be used training. There is no need to worry."

"Tch, there's no way you guys can beat Gatō's men!" A small voice exclaimed from the door and they all turned to see a young boy in fisherman's overalls standing by the door glaring at the ninja.

"Inari!" His mother berated, embarrassed by her son's outburst. The boy just ignored her and did a complete three-sixty turn around when he saw his grandfather.

"Grandpa! You're back!" He cried happily, running forward into the awaiting arms of his grinning grandfather. Sakura watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow, wondering what this kid had against them.

"Inari! It looks like you've grown since I've seen you!" The bridge builder explained lifting up the youngster.

"Who are they?" He asked, surprising hostile for a kid his age.

"Inari," his grandpa chastised. "These are the ninja who brought me home. We owe them my life. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today."

"They can't beat him," Inari stated surely. "No matter how hard they try. All they will manage to do is die."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, standing up quickly, enraged. "Who do you think you are?!"

The young boy didn't even spare him a glance, still frowning.

"Listen up! I'm a super hero who's going to be a great ninja known as Hokage!" The blond declared with conviction. "I don't know who this Gatō or Chocolate guy is but he's no enemy of mine!"

"Tch," Inari sneered. Sakura looked at Sasuke, then back at the child, thinking they could be twins. Especially with their similar looks.

"Hero?" Inari stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "How stupid. There's no such thing as a hero."

"W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Naruto shouted angrily, about to pounce on the kid. Luckily for all, Sakura held him back from completely tearing Inari apart.

"If you don't want to die, you'll go home," the bridge builder's grandson said before he left the room dramatically.

"Where are you going, Inari?" Tazuna asked him still shocked at his words.

"I'm going to watch the ocean," the boy declared right before slamming the doors shut.

"That kid has problems," Sasuke muttered to Sakura.

"Look who's talking," she retorted, hiding an amused smile at his blank look.

* * *

><p>"We'll now begin training," Kakashi said, leaning against one of the many trees in the clearing, enjoying the shade.<p>

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, fist pumping enthusiastically.

"But first," the silver haired jonin carried on, ignoring the pumped up blond, "let me talk about chakra, the base for the ability of a ninja."

"At a time like this?" Sasuke asked irritably.

"We already know about that!" Naruto declared one finger up knowingly.

But for some reason, the pink haired girl had a feeling he didn't.

"Chatra, right?" He asked smugly, prompting everyone to sigh in exasperation at the blond's idiocy.

'I knew it,' Sakura thought, rolling her eyes.

"It's chakra," Kakashi corrected tiredly. "Sakura, explain." Their teacher was now serious, in new mood to play games.

Come to think of it, this was the first real training session they had ever had as a team.

"I'll explain it in a simple manner to save time," Sakura said irritably, planting her gloved hands on her hips. "Chakra is the energy a ninja uses to perform a technique. That energy is collected from body energy that is collected from every cell of the body.

"As from the spirit energy that comes from training and experience. In other words, jutsu come from these two energies that are squeezed out of the body and molded together…This process is known as 'molding chakra' and with this chakra one is able to form a jutsu by forming a seal." The pink haired girl formed the tiger seal and drawing chakra to it till it glowed blue. Surprisingly enough, even Sasuke was paying attention.

"Correct," Kakashi stated bluntly before turning to the rest of his students. "Once again, I'm showing that you aren't that bad."

"That doesn't matter," Naruto grumbled. "You can just learn that stuff with your body even if you don't understand it.

"Naruto's right, we're able to use the techniques anyway…" Sasuke commented haughtily. Kakashi resisted the urge to just walk away because of the fact that it seemed they didn't actually see the importance of chakra.

"Wrong," he stated, shocking both male students into silence. "You guys still don't know how to manipulate your chakra completely."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked confused.

"That explanation doesn't matter right now. Let's get started shall we?" He asked rhetorically, crossing his arms and pushing off the tree, swaggering languidly towards them.

'Actually,' Sakura thought to herself, watching him closely, 'sensei is pretty good looking…I've never noticed before. And despite his silver, I'm sure he's not a day over twenty-five at most!'

"So today, to build up your chakra control, you'll be climbing trees." He declared, feeling amused at the shocked looks of his two male students.

"You can't be serious," the Uchiha deadpanned. How the hell was he supposed to defeat Itachi by climbing trees?

"Give us something harder, Kaka-sensei!" Naruto whined.

"Sakura, will you not say something?" Their teacher asked turning to the silent and relaxed kunoichi who had so far remained silent and unperturbed.

"I already know how to," she said to him, frowning. It was pretty basic exercise actually, nothing to marvel at.

"Show me," he ordered, motioning at the tree behind him. The one he was previously leaning on.

"Like right now?" She asked surprised at the suddenness. He just gave her a blank look which the pink haired girl interpreted as "Yes, right now".

She sighed audibly before walking to the extremely tall piece of vegetation, regarding it critically for a moment, clearly aware of the gazes her team was drilling into her back.

Then, eager to get it over and done with, she pooled chakra into her feet and calmly walked up the tree, stopping only when she reached the top and was out of sight from the others and there she stood for a while, sure that her sensei could clearly see her, before walking back down again, ignoring the shocked look from Naruto and slightly surprised look from Sasuke.

"Water walking?" Kakashi asked, not even acknowledging her actions and she nodded in affirmation.

Their sensei was silent for a moment, wondering what to teach her and they all waited for him, surprisingly more patient than normal.

Then, he pulled a grey piece of paper from his flak jacket and held it out. Sakura already knew what it was. An affinity tester and she had done the test a long time ago with Luna. And her two affinities were Earth and Water. Though it wasn't so surprising when she found out. She decided not to tell him she already knew her affinities because she wanted to see the paper react again. It was fun.

"Insert some chakra into it," he commanded. "If it crackles, it's Lightining. If it crumbles, it's Earth. If it becomes damp, its Water and if it turns razor sharp, its Wind. Oh, and if it turns to ash, Fire. I guess now is the best time to test you all. Sakura, you first."

The pink haired girl stepped forward obligingly. They all watched in silence as she took a deep breath in "anxiety" before channeling chakra into the paper.

Her three companions couldn't help but raised an eyebrow when the paper first became damp, then crumbled.

"Ano sa, ano sa, Kaka-sensei," Naruto said squinting at the paper in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Hmm…interesting, Sakura," their sensei stated, sounding mildly impressed. "Well, it seems that your female teammate here has two element affinities."

Sakura had to force down the smug smile which threatened to take control of her whole face when she saw the envious looks her teammates were giving her.

"Alright, who's next?" Kakashi asked looking at the two boys. It was pretty obvious who wanted to be next anyway, perhaps he was just asking for formalities sake.

"Me! Me! I'll show you all that I have four affinities! Only expected from the next Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed, sashaying forward with confidence, only to earn an eye roll from the other three.

Even though the others didn't want to admit it, they were extremely interested in seeing what type of affinity their blond haired dead-last of a teammate had.

The Kyūbi jinchūriki excitedly inserted his chakra into the paper, only to grin from ear to ear when it first became extremely sharp, then damp.

"Haha! Well, it's not four but I'm still awesome!" He exclaimed proudly.

Sasuke on the other hand, was secretly starting to get worried. Both his teammates had two affinities, how shameful it would be if he, the Uchiha prodigy lost to both of his no name teammates.

Never.

"Seems like it's up to you now, Sasuke," Kakashi drawled, lazily.

Secretly though, he was kinda excited. If Sasuke only had one affinity, it would kinda be really embarrassing for him cause both the others had two, which was rare in itself. Plus he would be the only one on the team who didn't have two element types.

They all watched in anticipation as he cooly strut towards the paper and lazily lifted up his hand from his pocket.

With an effective insert of chakra, the paper proceeded to crackle then turn to ash. Inwardly, the black haired boy breathed a sigh of relief.

Safe.

"Yeah! Team 7 is awesome!" Naruto exclaimed happily taking both his teammates in a group hug, much to the irritation of Sasuke.

"What about you sensei?" Sakura asked, curious. This drew the attention of the others and all three genin turned their head to peer at their sensei.

With a sigh, Kakashi extracted one last paper from his vest and they watched in surprise as the paper crackled, then crumbled.

"So you see Sasuke, if you only had one affinity, it would be pretty shameful wouldn't it?" Kakashi drawled nonchalantly, making Sasuke all the more relieved that he wasn't for once was the one to be dead weight. "Can you imagine, the Uchiha prodigy being the one from preventing our team from being the only team in history where all members had two affinities?"

"Good, anyway," Kakashi stated. "I'll give you all two jutsu to learn. Actually, I'll make a challenge. You guys have to master both jutsu and tree climbing before we head back to Konoha. Sakura on the other hand…she'll get three jutsu."

The three genin looked determined to ace it.

"Nice to see your enthusiasm," the silver haired jōnin said, clapping his hands. "Well, let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>You guys just might hate me for this. I know and I really am sorry for making such a short chapter but guys, it was just the wave filler. No big deal. There's one more left (filler) before the big battle and then I'm sure you guys will be in for a big shock. I can't wait to see all your responses. <strong>_

_**Also, I've put up a poll on my profile for you guys to vote for who you want Luna to be paired with. **_

_**Where's my fav guest reviewer these days? I miss chu! But honestly you guys, what happened to CC? Constructive criticism is very much appreciated(thanks by the way SixPerfections) so review and tell me about your thoughts and any helpful tid bits you think I might need!**_

_**Am I the only one who has a leg fetish? Lol, it's true...I just have this thing about legs...Lol, and Kakashi's are just absolutely beautiful! Just so perfect!**_

_**Now you guys must be thinking how crazy this author is right?**_

_**Thats it...I think...My problem is, I always have tons to say in AN's but when the time comes to wright them, I always forget.**_

_**I wove vu guyz! **_

_**Review please! **_

_**Bluetopianprincess^.^**_


	13. Chapter 13

Sakura wasn't really sure how to go about her next course of action. Under normal circumstances, she would just ask somebody and listen obediently to their guidance. That somebody was normally Luna or Kimimaro but since they weren't there, and she couldn't find Kakashi anywhere, it seemed that she would be flying solo for this one.

The Water Jutsu Kakashi-sensei had given her was what she was currently having a problem with. It was a high B-rank ninjutsu that required precise chakra control and could not be performed by anyone who did not have Water Natured chakra. She was secretly smug that her sensei had enough confidence to give her such a hard jutsu but she was also slightly apprehensive. What if she couldn't master it in time? She had until the end of this mission to learn it but she feared that wouldn't be enough time, because really, she couldn't even do the first step as she was now. And she didn't even know why! It was like the jutsu wasn't even responding to her chakra at all!

The pink haired girl sighed dejectedly and flopped down on the grass, just next to the river where she was currently training and glared angrily at her hands.

What in the world was she doing wrong?

Was it the shooting water out of her hand bit or trying to make it a spiral bit?

The scroll which Kaka-sensei had given her had stated that the first step was to try and make her chakra water-like. As if it wasn't chakra she was trying to draw out, but water.

That wasn't the problem because when they were in Training Grounds seventeen, she had already learned how to draw chakra out of thin air like the Second Hokage.

Wait a second! Perhaps that was the problem! She was trying to draw the water out of the air, not make her chakra like water. Every time she tried to perform the jutsu, she would rely on the moisture of the air around her to do the job automatically, instead of the chakra inside of her.

"I see…" she mumbled to herself in understanding, nodding her head.

Okay, so now that she figured that out, how in the world was she supposed to make her chakra like water?!

"Ugh!" She growled out before flopping backwards onto the grass, squinting up at the sky.

It seemed that this jutsu wouldn't be as easy to learn as the two C-rank Earth Style ones Kakashi had also given her.

* * *

><p>She was so bored. Oh-so very bored. Here she was, sitting on a stack of wood, watching with half-lidded eyes as big men lugged heavy pieces of metal to and fro, trying to complete the bridge. Why Kakashi-sensei had assigned her to guard over Tazuna alone, she had no idea. Because it wasn't like she didn't have anything to do!<p>

She had to train too and if the boys were too moronic not to have mastered tree climbing yet, how was it her fault? Honestly it wasn't fair.

A yawn racked her body and she lifted up her hand to cover her mouth just in time. It wouldn't be too polite to let people see the inside of her throat with how wide her mouth opened.

Now what?

"You look bored by yourself," a voice coming from her left stated, and she turned her head to see Tazuna walking towards her, holding a big piece of metal on his left shoulder, surprising her with his tough looking and muscular arms. He was pretty fit for an old man. But she supposed he had to be with his profession.

"Where's that blond kid and the arrogant one?" He asked her.

"There are still doing the stupid tree climbing exercise," she answered irritably.

"And you?" He asked, wondering why she wasn't with the rest of her team.

"I've already mastered it so Kakashi-sensei told me to guard you," she said, with a slight edge to her voice.

"Really?" He asked, clearly disbelieving, making her growl at him angrily. She resisted the urge to say or do anything more, instead just reigning her anger. Tazuna ignored her and went to place the metal in the pile with the others.

"May I have a word with you?" A new voice asked, making them both turn their heads to see one of the workers walking towards the chief bridge builder.

"What is it Giichi?" Tazuna asked, a towel now around his shoulders to soak up the sweat.

Sakura watched as the man looked away, seemingly ashamed of what he was about to say before bringing up the nerve and opening his mouth.

"Well after thinking about it…Can I quit this bridge building?" He asked, clearly anxious.

Sakura wasn't necessarily surprised, not after all the workers who had already quit and she rolled her eyes inwardly at how these people were such cowards.

"W-Why all of a sudden?" Tazuna exclaimed, surprised. "Not you too…"

The other worker looked grave, his eyes now hard, as if determined.

"Tazuna, I've known you for a long time," he declared. "I want to help but if I get too involved, Gatō might come after me too."

"Psh, forget Gatō, dude," Sakura mumbled to herself, placing her chin in her palm and her arm on her knee. They didn't hear her, not if she cared even if they did.

"Everything will lose meaning if you die," Giichi continued. "Why don't we stop building this bridge?"

"I can't do that," Tazuna stated seriously. It was pretty obvious that he was going to say that. This bridge is our bridge. And this bridge's currently giving our town hope that maybe one day it will help with distribution and transportation of goods that will make us rich once more."

"But if we die…" Giichi trailed off.

"It's already lunch time," Tazuna declared walking past him. "Let's stop for now."

"Tazuna!" The other man exclaimed, turning after him.

Tazuna stopped suddenly, before fixing his helmet and turning back around.

"Giichi, you don't have to come anymore," he said to the other man, before walking away.

Sakura smirked as she watched Tazuna. She was happy to see that the man had dignity and wasn't about to beg for Giichi to stay.

* * *

><p>As soon as the day ended, Sakura and Tazuna left the bridge and headed on home. Or at least that's is where the pink haired girl thought they were going, until she noticed that they were not taking the usual route and instead heading into a more populated area.<p>

"Hey…where are we going?" She asked the bridge builder walking next to her, looking around.

She noticed how poor and bedraggled everyone looked, and even saw quite a few homeless people sitting on the side of the road and begging for their next meal. It was quite sad, seeing them all look so pitiful. It wasn't everyday she was greeted with a sight like this, because in Konoha was such a prosperous village.

"I've been asked to get the ingredients for tonight's village," he told her.

She saw yet another man carrying a sign around his neck saying that he would do any type of job, and a young child running away from a shouting man because he had stolen something. Honestly, Sakura didn't know how to describe it.

"This is it," Tazuna stated after a few minutes, leading them into a rundown wooden store which she assumed to be the place where the sold groceries.

"Welcome," the clerk said mostly out of obligation when they walked in and much to the pinkettes's surprise, there was hardly anything in the store. Maybe a few vegetables scattered here and there but other than that, it was empty.

She couldn't even count more than five carrots!

Maybe, it was the fact that her bag was full, or maybe it was the fact that her butt was just that good looking but next thing she knew, there was a man squeezing her behind and by pure reflex, she had launched a very hard kick at him.

"Pervert!" She cried angrily, watching him go down with satisfaction.

"N-no I'm not," was all he could manage just before he passed out.

Heh, so maybe it really was the bag.

"I was really surprised back there," Tazuna said when they had left the shop.

"Hehe-Not again!" She exclaimed before turning around roughly after she felt her butt being squeezed. Though surprisingly, this time she was greeted with the sight of a young boy standing behind her.

"Huh?" She asked shocked.

"Give me…" he asked, smiling brightly and holding out his hands. Sakura stared at him in surprise before smiling back and rummaging through her bag, giving him a loaf of bread.

"Here you go little one. But next time you say please, okay?" She instructed and the child nodded, before saying thank you and running off happily.

"Ever since Gatō came it's been like this," Tazuna said to her. "The adults have all become cowards. This is why we need to finish this bridge quickly. This bridge is our courage. We need to it get back the spirit in this country for those who have given up. When that bridge…when that bridge is finished! This town shall regain its dignity once more!"

And Sakura could only agree silently.

* * *

><p>Dinner was a disgusting affair.<p>

That was the only way to describe it.

"Cha! It's been a while since we've had so many people at the dinner table!" Tazuna exclaimed happily, face flushed slightly with sakè.

Though it seemed everyone ignored what he was saying.

Sakura could on watch in revulsion as Sasuke and Naruto kept on shoveling food into their mouths at an alarming pace, trying to eat more than the other before puking it all out in the bins next to them.

"I'm done!" They cried simultaneously and Sakura watched as they glared at each other, before once more retching it back out.

That was it. She had had it up to here with those two.

"Ugh! Stop it!" She cried, hands slamming onto the table, drawing everyone's attention. "Naruto, Sasuke, I order you to stop it right this instant. What you two are doing is both rude and impolite! Have you no shame?! Naruto, maybe I can understand, but you too Sasuke?! Tsunami-san spent such a long time preparing this very delicious meal with her meager funds and you guys are just wasting it! I want you to apologize right now!"

Naruto and Sasuke looked properly chastised and slowly sank down into their seats.

"Hn," Sasuke said, only to receive a painful smack on the head from Sakura.

"Sasuke…" She growled threateningly.

"Really, Sakura-san it's alright," Tsunami said, trying to placate them all.

"But it isn't. Sakura's right," Kakashi ordered, giving both boys a hard stare. "What the boys were doing was very rude and a complete insult to you and your family. Apologize, boys."

"I'm sorry, Tsunami-san," Naruto mumbled.

"I'm…sorry as well." Sasuke said, albeit with much more difficulty because of his Uchiha pride.

Tsunami smiled at them reassuringly before going back to doing the dishes.

As Sakura was chewing her food, she noticed a picture on the wall with four people. Yet the face of the man was ripped out. The pink haired girl quickly finished her food before standing up to go look at it more closely.

"Ne, Tazuna-san. Who is the man in the photo with you guys?" She asked innocently. "Inari was staring at this photo the whole of dinner."

Tsunami dropped a glass back into the sink, the resounding "CLANG" deafening in the suddenly tension filled room.

Even Kakashi who normally ignored everyone looked up.

"It's my husband," the blue haired woman answered softly, cleaning up the broken pieces and throwing them away.

Oh, he was dead then, Sakura thought. Well, didn't this make things awkward…

"He was the true hero of this town," Tazuna said, pride in his sad words.

And Inari being the dramatic little boy that he was, suddenly slammed down his cup and stormed out the room.

Team 7 locked eyes knowingly, before having to cover their mouths to hide the grin and laughter threatening to spill out. Honestly, that boy would make a great actor, Sakura thought to herself, snorting drawing the whole room's attention.

She covered it up by wiping her eyes, pretending that she had been crying. Only Sasuke and Naruto knew the truth, making them shake with even more silent laughter.

"I-I'm, snort/sniff, sorry. It's just so, snort/sniff, s-sa-ad," she said shakily, trying not to break down laughing right then and there.

Clearly it would not be appreciated. From the corner of her eye, she saw Naruto bury his face into his arms to muffle his laughter. Luckily, his shaking made him look like he was sobbing.

"Father! I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari!" Tsunami cried angrily before chasing after her son.

Sasuke let out a muffled snort at that, clearly trying to hold in his laughter as well.

Tazuna the proceeded to tell the sob story of how Inari's step-father had come to find a new life in this town and had been the local village hero, though one day, four his efforts, he was subjected to a public execution by Gato in front of everyone.

Team 7 remained silent for a while, thinking about what happened with Inari's father. It was sad really, but it had been almost two years. He needed to move on with life.

In reality, they found it quite funny actually, the local village hero, strong and brave, crucified for his efforts. Noble, but morbid in it's humor.

"Please excuse us Tazuna-san." Sakura said, standing up, along with the rest of her team, before proceeding to leave the room.

"W-what's with them?" Tazuna asked, wiping away a few stray tears after they had left, turning to Kakashi.

"Hmm?" He lied, inwardly laughing as well. "Oh, they were just so touched by your story that they went to weep together."

"Oh, they are actually some pretty nice kids," Tazuna said.

Kakashi snorted.

* * *

><p>"AHAHAHAHAH!" Naruto burst out when they were a safe distance away from the house in a clearing, Sakura joining him shortly after, while Sasuke just chuckled, his equivalent of dying of laughter.<p>

"Father, I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari!" Sakura mocked in a dramatic voice, making Naruto and Sasuke laugh even harder.

"Did you see the way he left the room? Talk about dramatic exit!" Naruto exclaimed, falling to the floor in peals of laughter, tears of mirth falling down his eyes.

Both Sakura and Sasuke joined him on the floor as well, both leaning on each other to support each other's weight.

"I just, snort can't believe that's what's making him so depressed, you know! He's even worse than temē!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief. Sakura and Sasuke nodded, laughter dying down into soft chuckles.

"The story is kinda sad but he needs to get over it," Sakura pointed out, patting the Uchiha's head fondly, making him glare at her. "Like, Sasuke's had an even rougher past but you don't see him crying about it."

Naruto nodded in agreement and they all lapsed into silence.

A few minutes later found them all lying down side by side, with Sakura in the middle under the starry sky. It was peaceful, with the soft chirping of the crickets and hoots of the owls and they were all content to just watch the glowing lights above them.

"That one there looks like a ducks ass," Naruto stated comically serious, making Sakura burst out into soft peals of laughter.

"Don't you mean Sasuke?" She asked him, making the Uchiha roll his eyes in exasperation.

"Yeah, that's what I meant," Naruto agreed nodding sagely. Sakura's body rocked with silent laughter, and she buried her face into her black haired teammate's side to muffle it.

He didn't push her away.

"I think I see a bowl of ramen there too," Naruto said pointing at it.

"Everything looks like ramen to you, dobe," Sasuke said, smirking in amusement.

"That is so not true!" Naruto exclaimed indignantly. Sakura giggled again into Sasuke's side before rolling onto her back once more.

"How is the tree climbing going?" She asked them both after a few beats of silence.

"We both mastered it," Naruto told her, his voice surprisingly level.

"Oh, I'm happy. And water walking?" The pink haired girl inquired turning to her blond teammate.

"Tch, the dobe can't even stay on the water for five seconds," the charcoal eyed boy on her left declared, sounding amused.

"Says the person who can't even stay on for three," Naruto shot back, miffed.

"Well then Sasuke, you're not in any position to judge," Sakura giggled, once seeing the pout which appeared on his face.

"What about you Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. The pink haired girl turned to him in amusement.

"What about me, Naruto?" She asked.

"He means, how far along are you with your jutsu?" Sasuke elaborated, making Sakura groan pitifully and bury her face in Naruto's side this time. Both boys took this as a bad sign.

"I've mastered both Earth Justu Kaka-sensei gave me but it's the water one which I'm having trouble with," she told them. "I just can get it!"

Naruto nodded in understanding. "I know how you feel Sakura-chan. It's how I feel with the water walking. Actually, talking about water walking, you already know to do it right?"

"Mmmhmm," she answered in affirmative.

"Well then, can you help us?" The cerulean eyed boy asked hopefully. "Kakashi-sensei didn't even give us any tips. He just said to figure it out ourselves."

Even Sasuke looked interested.

"Really? Ha, that's Kakashi-sensei for you. Anyway," she explained, "it's harder than tree walking because water isn't stable."

"Huh?" Naruto asked intelligently. Sasuke instead remained silent and actually thought about what she had just said.

Water wasn't stable…

"Ah…Because water isn't stable you can't just let out one steady stream of chakra," the Uchiha said out loud, grasping the concept quickly, making Sakura smile and Naruto pout. "You have to constantly fluctuate it and change the flow in order to accommodate the shifting water. I see…"

"Exactly," The pink haired girl stated.

"Oh. I get it now," Naruto said, understanding as well.

"Let's go train," Sakura said unexpectedly. Naruto and Sasuke both looked at her like she had grown two heads but she just smiled.

"I just have a feeling about tomorrow is all," she told them, shrugging. "I think we should get in all the training we can."

"Alright! Let's get to it then!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, before jumping to his feet, and pulling up his two teammates with him.

"Dobe," Sasuke said once he had gotten used to the vertigo that had threatened to overwhelm him when the blond had suddenly pulled him.

"Temē," Naruto replied smirking.

"Tch. Last one to the river has to dive in naked!" Sakura cried before taking off, not bothering to see if her two teammates were behind her.

She needed all the head start she could get.

* * *

><p>"Aww come on guys. Let's not do this," Naruto said nervously, backing away from the two smirking faces in front of him. "We can just put it behind us and accept the fact that I'm last, okay?"<p>

"Sorry Naruto, but a deal is a deal, dude." Sakura told him, her teeth glinting in the moonlight that was in the clearing.

It was quite a bright night, and the fireflies and moon's reflection on the river only made it brighter. The perfect night to train.

"F-fine,mI'll do it," Naruto declared determinedly before suddenly taking of his jacket and shirt.

"I didn't think he'd actually do it." Sakura whispered to Sasuke, watching their blond haired teammate take off his shinobi sandals.

"Tch, you don't know the dobe," Sasuke replied, thought surprising her by also starting to strip.

"What are you doing, temē?" Naruto asked, taking off his boxers, leaving him stark naked. Not that he cared anymore. They had already all seen each other naked in the desert.

"I'm going swimming. What does it look like?" He asked irritably before diving inside.

"Well, it seems like we're skinny dipping huh?" Sakura asked nobody in particular. She watched as Naruto also rushed in with a big splash then she sighed.

'Oh what the hell,' She thought shrugging before also starting to undress.

And that was how Kakashi found his genin team.

All stark naked, all playing tag on the surface of the water, not in the least bit concerned about their modesty.

When he said that he wanted his team to be close, he didn't mean this close.

But he still couldn't keep the grin off his face when he saw how much fun they were all having so he instead, he just perched himself up in a tree and opened his orange book, reading his new Icha Icha that he had bought today at the local book store. It was surprising that they even had it.

On the bright side, at least Sasuke and Naruto finally learned water walking.

Judging by the moon's position, it was something around three in the morning, and Sakura could only sigh tiredly. Her two teammates had long fallen asleep in their underwear at the river bank but she opted to stay awake and actually practice the jutsu Kakashi had given her. She did say that they should train after all.

Even if training turned into a skinny dipping session, proceed by a game of naked tag and lastly a round of truth or dare, which turned out to be crazier than anticipated.

But now was the time to get serious and back to her training.

She closed her eyes and took a very deep breath, trying to imagine that her chakra was water that was waiting to be released. In and out, her breaths went but she took no notice, instead trying to turn that light blue substance running through her coils into something like the natural liquid.

Suddenly, she felt the change, it was a very subtle change but it was there.

It was like her chakra was suddenly lighter, more refreshing. Cooler even.

Got it, she thought, smirking mentally but still concentrating.

She had finally, finally gotten the next step down after who knows how long and she was literally feeling fantastic, wanting to jump for joy even.

But she couldn't lose focus.

She slowly, but surely directed the chakra to her right hand, making sure it was a steady and controlled flow.

That is, until she heard a loud splash and she opened her eyes just in time to see the water falling back down.

This was weird, because nothing had jumped in.

Luckily for her, her she still had her water chakra surrounding her hand and she breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

And then she froze.

It seemed, there was a stream of water, which had just moved left to right, in the same direction of her hand actually, before falling back down, causing another loud splash.

"Okay, I must be seeing things…" she told herself unsurely. Because there was no way in hell that the water was actually being controlled by her.

But you know what…she supposed she just had to be sure.

So making sure the water chakra was still surrounding her hand, she cautiously and very slowly, lifted up her right hand, watching in increasing amazement as a thin line of water lifted up, following the movements of her right hand. Sakura then moved the appendage from left to right, watching with wide eyes as the water followed at the exact same speed.

"Holy fucking shit." Were her very deep words.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hello guys, <strong>_

_**How you doing this lovely evening?**_

_**Okay, so I'm really sorry about taking so long to update this chappie but I was experiencing a bout of writers block. It was like no matter what I did I just couldnt write the chapter! In all honesty, I'm just happy its over a done with. Hopefully the next chapter will be out in two weeks at the most. Hopefully. **_

_**The next chapter will be the big fight on the bridge, otherwise known as the end of this arc and then...THE CHUNIN EXAMS! I CAN'T WAIT!**_

_**I put up a forum by the way, it's called Story Advertising and currently only has three posts, courtesy of me. So, if any of you are interested in advertising your stories, you can do it over there.**_

_**I'd like to say thank you to my wonderful beta for writing the new summary for me, its much better than the old. And also for editing this chapter! Thank you!**_

_**That's it hey...**_

_**Leave many reviews okay?**_

_**Blue.**_


	14. Chapter 14

Sakura wasn't entirely sure where to go from now. Because after somehow managing to shut her open mouth and come to terms with the fact that, yes, she was somehow controlling water, the shock had finally worn off and she was left sitting on the lake in just her underwear and chest bindings.

She had actually thought up a theory as an explanation to this startling discovery. She supposed that maybe, when she was trying to turn her chakra into the correct type, she had forgotten to do the hand signs. The scroll had said that you had to mold your chakra at the exact same time you were executing the many seals. Though that did not explain why, she was the only person in the world who could do it. Surely, many had forgotten to do the seals. She wasn't the only one who could do the jutsu. It wasn't exactly an S-rank after all.

But then she remembered something. Luna had once told her that she had excellent chakra control, even better than that of the great Slug Princess. It must've been true because one, her sister wasn't a liar (well, technically anyway) and two, the white haired girl did not hand out compliments easily.

Ah…so that explained it, if her chakra control was better than the female Sannin's, it meant she had the best in the world. It was quite the ego boost actually. Hopefully she wasn't just being arrogant and overestimating her abilities.

But that was beside the point. The pink haired girl concluded that the reason why no one could ever control an element, water or otherwise was because they didn't have the control.

Not even the Nidaime Hokage, with his vast knowledge and perfect manipulation of elemental ninjutsu, could manage such a feat. Actually, when she really thought about it and dug deep into the multiple history textbooks that were in her head she was forced to memorize, the only other person who had even come relatively close to utilizing an element to their will, was her very own sensei; Hatake Kakashi with his two legendary techniques, Chidori and Raikiri.

After all, he did cut a lightning bolt in half. Twice actually, because a bunch of people thought it was a lie the first time.

Once more, she was reminded of how awesome her teacher was, jackass or not

She could feel the beginning of a hero worship blooming.

Talking about the silver haired man, it seemed that he had just magically appeared in front of her, sitting with one leg bent and the other tucked in, his nose buried in his book, as if he had been there all along.

And she couldn't even see on tiny ripple on the water to signal his movement.

Another little reminder.

"Good morning Kaka-sensei," she addressed calmly, running her fingers through the water under her.

"Hmm…good morning Sakura," he replied half-heartedly and the pink haired girl blatantly rolled her emerald eyes not caring if he saw or not.

"Tsk, such disrespect," he mumbled before promptly shutting the book and placing it in his breast pocket in one fluid movement.

She pretended she didn't notice the sudden stare on her profile, and looked anywhere but at him. If he was sitting here now, it meant that he had seen everything. And she meant everything.

But slowly minutes ticked by, and still he had not said or done anything and Sakura was slowly losing the grasp on her already flimsy patience.

She chanced a look from the corner of her eye, and sadly, was caught in his intense gaze. And no matter how much she tried she could not break eye contact.

Finally, he raised an eyebrow in lazy curiosity. "Were you going to tell me about your new 'superpower'?"

She sighed then thought about that for a moment, yes, she most likely would have told him, but only when they reached Konoha and she too had come to terms with it. Unlike a bloodline limit, she was the only one who could do it. No other family, no deeply buried documents on the subject. Just her.

"Yeah, I was," she admitted sagging in shame. Though, she did not know why. "But not now."

"I see…." Was all he answered, resting his arm lazily over his knee.

"W-will you….will you help me?" The young girl asked after some hesitation.

Kakashi didn't reply immediately, instead looking up at the slowly lighting sky. It must've been around four judging by its slightly blue hue.

"Hmm…it will help you survive in the near future," he answered, and she paused.

Near future? What did he mean by that exactly? Was anything big going to happen? She knew that there was going to be a war very soon, in three years at most if they were lucky. Every shinobi, special jōnin and up knew that little tidbit of info. Obviously she wasn't a jōnin, Tokubetsu or otherwise but she had a very special sister who had been preparing her for it since she was four.

But once again, that wasn't going to happen until maybe three years from now. Then she remembered what month it was.

It was April.

And in the near future, there certainly was going to be a big event. One that made even the Shinobi Nations set aside their differences and come together.

It was the Chūnin Exams in just…five months actually.

"The Chūnin Exams…what do you mean 'help me survive'?"

Kakashi didn't speak.

"Help me survive…? AH! I understand!" Sakura exclaimed, putting two and two together. Kakashi looked at her, waiting for his secretly favorite student to prove her intellectual mind once again.

"Because of the extreme tension between all the Shinobi Nations, this isn't going to be just some friendly competition! They're most probably going to tell their genin to be as unfriendly as possible and kill as many enemies as they can and not everyone is a kind as Konoha. Meaning that the foreign genin wouldn't have a much hesitation with killing like we do!" Then Sakura paused, clicking her tongue against her teeth in irritation and still

Kakashi remained silent, already impressed with her deduction skills.

"But no," she continued, "because that would just make things worse…because obviously, no Kage would be happy if all their representatives were brutally killed off!"

Kakashi nodded, signaling that she should continue. "And in the end, it doesn't matter who wins which battle. They judge candidates by their performance so it wouldn't matter if you lost, because you would still have a chance at a promotion! And they know that, so killing would be pointless…" Abruptly she stood up, not in the least bit ashamed that she was in her underwear.

"Kami…the Kage will be treating the exams like a pre-war!" She gasped, clearly shocked.

Kakakshi though, was secretly trying not to burst with pride for his student. In those few short minutes, only five at most, she had managed to process, analyze and come to the right conclusion about a very complex subject, which not even most chūnin could figure out.

"And that right there is why you are my favorite," he told her smiling, ruffling her pink hair as she sat down.

"But don't tell Naruto or Sasuke that I'm nominating you all," he said to her and she puffed her cheeks, an amused twinkle in her viridian eyes. "Their egos are already big enough as it is."

"Ugh…"

And then to the jōnin's immense surprise, even though he didn't show it, she draped herself over his knee, limbs going slack. She looked very much like a sack of potatoes at that moment.

"But Kakashi-sensei…" she whined, turning on her back once he had straightened his leg and he looked down at her, waiting for whatever it was that prompted the sudden sack like behavior.

"Why do I have this horrible feeling that you are finally going to start training us, and it's not going to be easy?" She asked with dread. "Like when you dropped us in the kraal to survive alone for two months."

"Hmm…I don't know why you feel that way Sakura," he drawled casually and she groaned pitifully, and buried her face into his stomach. "Obviously, your instinct needs to be tuned a bit more because what you said is an understatement of what I will put you all through."

"Haha, but that won't be happening until we reach Konoha so you can relax for now." He chuckled lightly and he felt her smile.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Kakashi said that it was late and that they should take the example of her two teammates currently passed out by the river and hit the sack.

She had agreed and the two proceeded to somehow drag Sasuke and Naruto back. As in, Kakashi literally dragged them through the woods and into the house, before dumping their bodies on their already prepared futons (bless Tsunami's soul).

He then said a halfhearted goodnight to the only conscious genin before disappearing into his own room next door.

That night, Sakura went to bed with a smile on her face, thinking that maybe her sensei wasn't so much of a douchebag.

* * *

><p>Sakura woke up that morning to the sounds of birds and insects chirping outside her window and to a steady beam of bright sunlight hitting her in the face, the warm feeling and brightness of it rousing her from her slumber. Not that she didn't try and fight it though, but eventually all her tossing and turning woke her up in itself so she heaved a heavy sigh and resigned herself to the circumstance.<p>

Though when she finally regained her bearings and took a moment to look around the room, she noticed that it was empty, two futons folded and placed in the corner, albeit one was significantly messier than the other.

It meant that her two teammates were already up and about, which was surprising because she normally woke up before either of them. Even if Sasuke was an early riser.

Groggily she wiped her eyes and swept back her long hair with her fingers before slowly standing up (although she almost fell multiple times) and headed to the bathroom to get ready.

Eventually, when she had finished washing and getting ready, and her futon was made, she made her way downstairs and was greeted with the pleasant sight of Tsunami standing at the stove making breakfast. It was as if the woman was psychic.

"Good morning, Sakura," se greeted pleasantly.

Yep, she was psychic alright.

"Good morning Tsunami-san," she replied, going to sit at the table and pouring herself some orange juice from the pitcher which was awaiting her arrival.

"Kakashi-kun and your teammates went ahead and he said that you could follow when you woke up," the blue haired woman told her placing Sakura's breakfast of Rice and Miso soup in front of her.

"Oh…okay then. I'll get going when I've finished here then. Itadakimasu." She thanked before breaking apart the chopsticks and digging in.

Tsunami smiled and with a quick farewell, went off to do whatever it was that she did during the day. Most probably the laundry.

Sakura wasn't in that much of a rush to get going after Tsunami explained that to her so she took her time with breakfast and had multiple glasses of the fruity beverage next to her.

After she finished, she stood up and washed her dishes before heading back upstairs and into the bedroom.

"Meh…how many weapons do I have anyway?" She asked herself after seeing her backpack sitting in the corner of the room. She went over to it and sat down in the middle of the room, before emptying it and counting all the scrolls she had.

But then, after about thirty minutes of methodic counting, something roused her from her concentration. "Inari! Come help me out!" She heard Tsunami's voice sound quite easily through the wooden house and the immediate reply of a young boy going "Coming!" but that wasn't what drew her attention.

It was the two foreign chakra standing outside the house.

* * *

><p>The pink haired girl wasn't entirely sure how she landed up in this situation. She could vaguely remember hearing the sound of a dish breaking and a scream from the kitchen but after that it was all blurry. All she knew was that now she was facing two samurai who had possibly deserted their lords or whatever. And let it not be said that samurai were pushovers. They couldn't be really, if their job was to guard and protect Daimyo.<p>

Jumping over a swipe at her legs, she ignored the positively feral grin the bandana clad fighter sent her and tried to aim a quick punch at his chest. He blocked it with his sword and she swiftly ducked under his legs as his partner tried to chop her head off. The silver haired samurai was left stumbling after trying not to trip over her body which had just traversed under him and Sakura took the opportunity to sweep his legs out from under him completely.

"Sakura!" Tsunami called out, voice frantic and said girl flipped over the silver metal which passed through where her torso previously was. She mentally thanked the tied woman and jumped a few feet backwards to take stock of the situation.

She was currently battling two opponents with unknown abilities and excellent teamwork, and all the while, she had to protect two extremely useless civilians from being taken hostage. Battling the samurai wasn't hard, no; it was protecting the Tsunami and Inari part which was hard. With every move she made, she had to make sure that it wouldn't reach the two kneeling a few feet away. Also, she had to remember that she was fighting two people and they weren't bound by the rules of honor like other samurai. One might just get tired of procrastinating and grab one of her charges and force her hands by threatening their deaths at any minute.

It would mean that she would have to finish the fight quickly. Enough playing games.

"Hey look, it seems that the little girl is finally realizing that she has no chance against us Hiro." The one with an eye patch said to his partner, who laughed. Sakura frowned minutely.

"Haha, yeah Zebu, are you done playing ninja little girl?" He jeered, a smug grin on his face and Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes.

"On the contrary Hiro-san! I'm just getting started," she stated smirking and then she disappeared, only to reappear right in front of his face, fist already flying and connecting before he could register what happened. Zebu watched in shock as his partner was sent flying by a little girl not even half their age and was even more surprised when she intervened with his flight course and kicked his limp body towards him.

Zebu was too shocked react and had the wind knocked out of him as his comrade's bulky body crashed into him, knocking him out as well and sending them both into the ocean under the wooden boards.

"Tch, Wh o do you think I am?" Sakura asked smugly before dusting off her hands and rushing off to the shocked Tsunami and Son.

"S-Sakura!" Tsunami exclaimed in surprise but the pink haired girl did not answer, instead pulling out a kunai and cutting cleanly through the ropes holding her hostage.

"Wow! Sakura-nee! That was so awesome!" Inari cried a gigantic grin on his face and the emerald eyed girl was taken by surprise at his cheerful demeanor. She wondered what had brought it on for a moment but decided not to dwell on it.

"Thank you very mu-" The blue haired adult but Sakura interrupted her, by standing up quickly.

"There's no time Tsunami-san," the pinkette said in a firm voice. "You can thank me later. For now, go and get the rest of the villagers. It seems that Zabuza has finally made his move. You all have to fight for your freedom as well. You can't always rely on others to help you."

"B-but, we can't! We're no match for Gatō!" The woman quaked in terror.

"Tsu-"

"No!" A small voice declared, interrupting what Sakura was going to say and drawing both females attention. "NO!" He cried again, but more firmly, prompting the rosette to raise an eyebrow and the mother to gasp in shock.

"We have to listen to what Sakura-nee says Mama! She's right, we need to fight back too! That's what Dad would have done!" Inari said, a determined light resonating in his eyes.

And Sakura need any more prompting.

"Good, I'm sure your father would be proud." The pink haired girl said playfully tipping off his hat and ruffling his hair, making him blush.

Sakura nodded before quickly turning around and running off in the direction of the bridge, already feeling the fluctuating chakra of people fighting.

She needed a plan, she thought as she jumped into the trees and pushed her speed a bit more. Since she had already hidden her chakra, no one would know she was coming and she could use that to her advantage.

The question was how. Using an explosive would give away position immediately so that was counterproductive. Throwing a bunch of kunai would do the same thing so that was out of the question.

Maybe she could stay on the sidelines and watch a bit, hidden by something so that she could get a feel of the enemies' techniques? Hmm…that seemed like the best way to do things. Hopefully she could learn something.

And it seemed she had decided just in time too, because she had just arrived at the bridge and was greeted with the sight of…nothing.

"Kirigakure no jutsu, huh?" She mumbled in understanding to herself.

Silently moving, she jumped down onto the water and ran the length of the bridge, only stopping when she got to the unfinished section or the end really. That was where the chakra was resonating the strongest, meaning that was where the fighting was taking place. She heard the sound of metal against metal and she deduced that it was kunai connecting with each other.

Running up the long pillar, it took her a little under two minutes to finally get to the top, and she hoisted herself soundlessly over the rails, landing on a box of crates.

"Kai," she whispered and chakra immediately flooded her eyes. It was a technique similar to the Byakugan for those who didn't have the luck of being born into the prestigious plan. It enhanced your vision, enabling you to see longer distances and through foggy things much easier. Though, like most techniques in her limited arsenal, it required precise chakra control, or else you were just begging for your eyeballs to explode.

Looking around, she could make out the shapes and pictures things much easier and when she looked to her right, she was startled to see what looked like a dome of…were those mirrors? That was the best she could make out so she just focused on that and moved slowly closer, careful to keep her chakra contained, even to the point of terminating the technique. The closer she got the more sounds she could make out. The thing which perplexed her was the dull hum of SWISH and repeated thuds going on over and over again.

'What's that?' She asked herself mentally.

Creeping closer, she was right in front of the dome now, just a few feet away from the mirror directly in front of her, just for precautions. She wasn't sure what would happen if she stood directly in front of it, and she didn't really want to find out. Luckily for her, the mist was significantly thinner here so she could actually see what was going on, even if everything still took on a grayish tint.

Though, what she saw, she wasn't prepared for. There, inside the mirror dome, were Naruto and Sasuke being assaulted by thousands of senbon, too fast for even her eyes to track. And by the look of things, they weren't faring so well against them, judging by all the needles stuck inside their flesh and the numerous scratches on their skin and holes in their clothing. Sakura mentally winced as another round of needles flew at them, and the two boys were unable to even dodge.

Taking a full look around, she saw that in every single mirror there was a very familiar hunter-nin standing inside. He was the one they had encountered on the way to Tazuna's house and had claimed that he was assigned to kill Zabuza. It had seemed that their suspicions had been correct and that he had indeed been an accomplice to the missing-nin instead.

The pink haired girl's quick mind quickly deduced that it wasn't possible that there were so many of one body and came up with the conclusion that there was only one person, and all the rest were just reflections. The problem was to find a way to detect the real one.

She was sure that Sasuke had already come to that conclusion as well, but for some reason, he too couldn't act on it.

'Probably all those senbon being hurled at him,' she thought with wry humor.

Also, when taking a closer look, she realized that the mirrors were ice and not glass, which also posed another question. Uchiha Sasuke was a fire type. She knew that because of all the numerous times she had to avoid his blazing infernos in the desert. Why didn't he just melt the ice? Surely he had already thought of that, no? So why didn't he…?

Wait a second. Sakura almost slapped her forehead in embarrassment at her own stupidity.

Obviously her hard headed teammate had tried; it must have been one of the first things he did actually, that would mean that for some reason the ice could not melt.

It was probably a kekkei genkei. Because the pink haired girl, with all her vast knowledge, had never read up on a technique like this one. That was also the reason why the cold glaciers would not melt. They must've been infused with chakra and would need a great amount of force to break.

'A great amount of force to break, huh?' Sakura pondered. She had a few powerful techniques that she could use…but none of them would fit this situation.

Although…there was that one jutsu…

Sasuke was inwardly attacking. This Haku guy was proving to be much more of a hassle than anticipated and his idiot of a teammate wasn't helping things either. Instead he just kept getting in his way.

And he didn't even have a clue as to where his other teammate was.

Grimacing as another wave of metal death hit him, he also had to shift his body to avoid Naruto's body from crashing into him. Ah yes, that was another problem.

Those damn senbon. No matter how hard he tried, he could never manage to track them. Even with his Sharingan he could barely make them out. Not to mention he was also trying to keep track of the executor of this messed up jutsu. It was getting a bit frustrating.

At one point, he had managed to hit the long haired boy with a Katon jutsu but before he even had time to make another move, Haku had quickly retreated into the safety of one of his many mirrors.

Personally, Sasuke thought that he was just being a coward by not facing him head on like a man but there was not much he could do about it.

"Naruto!" He shouted in irritation as his blond comrade launched another army of Kage Bunshin at the enemy, only making things worse with all the smoke they produced when they exploded, therefore obscuring the onyx haired boy's already limited view.

He ignored Haku's voice as the boy launched into another bout of bragging (at least according to Sasuke) and tried to think of plan which didn'trequire continued movement as he could barely lift his arm.

In truth, he had thought of many different plans, the problem was, he needed to actually have contact with the real body or at least know where it was to execute any of them. Haku kept on shifting from mirror to mirror too fast for Sasuke to actually make out anything other than a blur.

Okay, fine then. It was obvious that thinking wasn't going to work out. His only option was to charge head on like his teammate was currently doing.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto's loud voice rang out for like the millionth time before once more, the sounds of POOF filled the area.

'Like that,' the Uchiha thought rolling his eyes with what little energy he could muster.

Concentrating, he saw the blur which was Haku's body jump out a mirror to his left and just as he was about to pounce on him, he was interrupted by a sudden flare of very familiar chakra skyrocket.

And it wasn't Kakashi's.

"Suiton: Hahonryū!" A voice rang out, and the next thing Sasuke knew was the loud noise of glass breaking, the sensation of water knocking him off his feet and being swept away by the wild current.

'What the hell?'

* * *

><p><strong>Oheyo gozaimasu. <strong>

**This is OperaGhost11235, bluetopianprincess' beta reader. Apparently, she has some internet problems, and she left me with the chapter to edit and asked me to publish it, so here you are. **

**How are you enjoying this story, by the way? It's pretty good, don't you think?**

**So, apologies for the delay, hope you enjoy, leave some reviews, and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated by the author.**

**:) **


End file.
